Star Wars: Knights of the New Empire
by MasterCaedus
Summary: Betrayal! Following the Fall of Theron Fel, the galaxy has erupted into war between the Triumvirate and the new Darth Revan's empire. The Triumvirate, in shambles from decades of stagnant peace, loses ground to the expanding Sith Empire and the weight of its own terrible secrets come to light. Under great duress, they send Ana Gann, Theron's former love, to do what no other can...
1. Assault on the Emperor

The leader of the Jedi strike team jumped out of a red saber's way, the plasma nearly burning through her spinning battle robe. As she landed, she landed a force-enchanced palm to the Sith's nose and stole his saber. The red blade arced through its former master, and he fell to the ground. She shook her head at the deaths she would need to cause, but was glad to be alive nonetheless.

The Jedi had little time to savor her small victory, however, as she was soon set upon by a pair of silver-bladed warriors. Imperial Knights. Many of the Imperial Remnant had abandoned the Triumvirate after the truth of the Fel assassination came out, with both Imperial Knights and Stormtroopers casting off the rule of the ever weakening Moff Council for that of their true Emperor – the new Darth Revan. The Jedi woman thought it odd, yet somehow comforting, that the man had allowed the Imperial Knights to remain as such rather than force the philosophy of the Sith upon the deserters. She could sense no more rage or hate coming from the two warriors than was the norm for Force wielders entrenched firmly in the gray. Still, she had to make it through the ship, and their eyes said that surrender was not a possibility.

The Jedi raised the red saber, refusing to ignite her own for even a moment. She deflected the blow from the first, a female white Twi'lek of around 1.7 meters. The silver saber crashed into the stolen red blade with a flash and hiss. The Jedi knew that the battle before her was meant only to distract: the other Imperial Knight was circling around her to land a death blow even as the Jedi deflected another incoming blow from the Twi'lek. When the skin on the Jedi's neck began to prickle, she twisted out of the way. The silver saber slashed through the air where she had been but a moment before and collided with its sibling. The Imperial Knights pulled, annoyed, from the saber lock and turned their attention back to the Jedi. "Surrender," she told the Imperial Knights, despite knowing it was futile.

Her only answer was an attack made by the two. The Jedi sighed sadly and brought her red blade up, easily deflecting the closest blow. From there, she jumped and twisted through the air between the first silver saber and the incoming second one. Landing on the wrist of the Twi'lek, she brought the red plasma through her chest before kicking the deactivating silver blade into the throat of the other Knight, a human male with dark features of about 1.9 meters. As the two fell, dead, to the ground, the Jedi grunted in disgust and tossed the Sith weapon in her hand to the ground. "Report," the Grand Admiral's voice buzzed in her ear, amidst the sounds of explosions.

"There is only one more room between us and Revan," the woman stated as she brushed a strand of red hair out of her eyes. She looked around at the heavily breathing forms of the strike team, Jedi and Loyalist Knights, a small group of Imperial Knights who had not betrayed the decaying Moff Council. "We've lost two so far."

"That makes you, what, seven? No, eight. You can't afford any more losses," the Admiral told the Jedi. "You and I both know he could still take all of y – "

"Yes, I do know there is still a chance that what little remains of this strike team will still lose to Revan," the Jedi replied, her voice firm. It suddenly took on a subtly sad note. "But I believe that we may still kill him."

"I don't doubt you. I've seen you fight," the Admiral replied. He sighed. "Just... just finish this. It's been too long since..."

"Understood," the Jedi replied before signing off. She turned her attention to the team. "Hope you've had enough rest, we have a whole other room to deal with." She received a few grumbles of affirmation and complaining, and so turned to the door. She placed her palm flat on the durasteel plating and took a deep breath. "3...2...1...Now." The door suddenly seemed to implode, the durasteel bending in upon itself into what looked like a huge, crumpled piece of paper. With a flick of her wrist, the remnants of the door flew forward, colliding with – and killing – a small squadron of Sith soldiers and Sith Force Users. The strike team behind the Jedi was already in the room, having leaped through the doorway even as the metal keeping it shut was crushed. Blades crashed with blades, and Sith Troopers died from their own ricocheting blaster bolts.

"The master was wondering when you would arrive," one of the Sith said as the Jedi leader approached the center of the room. Twin red blades snapped into being from the black, flowing robes of the masked Sith, who glared with blood red, hate filled eyes from behind a cloth mask. "He was adamant that it would be you who would come to try and kill him."

The Jedi smiled sadly and pulled her shoto from within her robes. "In my heart, I think I knew it too," she replied. She ignited her orange saber and walked calmly towards the Sith Warrior, the leader of the room. He snarled at her and jumped with a rage filled grace towards her. His red saber narrowly missed slicing through the woman's shoulder as she turned to avoid it, and she brought her shoto down to kill the Sith. Unfortunately, the second saber easily deflected the orange blade that arced down.

"He knows you are here. He's waiting for you," the Sith whispered as he stood up. He flicked his sabers before him, the red flickering as they scraped past one another. "He has asked you be brought before him alive. He did not, of course, specify the state you would need to be in."

The woman furrowed her brow and began dodging anc countering the blows of increasing speed. She knew this was the hardest fight she had taken part in on the ship... at least until she reached the next room. Her single shoto collided with the red plasma of the Sith's twin weapons in flashes of yellow. "What?" the Sith asked as his sabers locked with hers. "Aren't you going to try and turn me to the Light?"

The woman blinked disinterestedly. "Why waste time and energy?" she asked. She lashed out with her foot and the Sith stumbled backwards, clutching at his gut. The Jedi rushed forward and brought her blade up to kill the Sith. Her blade was narrowly stopped by the red of her opponent's sabers.

The battles raged on, with members of the team falling to the blades of their enemies. Sith and their Imperial allies did the same to the strike team's weaponry, screaming in pain as plasma arced through their bodies. "It would seem you are as strong as Lord Revan insisted," the Sith told the woman gleefully. His second saber twirled around, feinting, and his other saber came down to kill her. The woman deflected the incoming blow into the feinting blade and the Sith stumbled away. "Or perhaps he was under selling you."

"Surrender and maybe you can survive to the end of this war," the woman told the Sith.

"Surrender and maybe you can share his bed again," the Sith retorted. Even behind his mask, his mouth contorted into a toxic, sneering, grin.

The woman skillfully hid her emotions: the only visible reaction she gave was a slight coloring of her pale cheeks below her violet eyes. In response to the Sith's taunts, she rushed forward with her saber to defeat her enemy. The orange and red clashed again after their brief reprieve. Deaths, combined with the ever sharpening focus of the two combatants, led to the sounds of the battles around the room quieting as time went on. The orange and red clashed over and over again, their staccato music the only breaks in the endless silence of their battle.

Finally, the only noise that could stop the two combatants echoed through the room. "Enough," a voice called. It was the voice of a man, around twenty seven, whose tone was that of practiced dispassion and serenity. It was real enough, the calm, but was still somewhat forced. The woman knew that the angry undercurrent to the voice was due to her proximity to the man. "Let the remaining Triumvirate Loyalists through without any further bloodshed. You will let me deal with them."

The red and silver sabers of Revan's followers disappeared as their masters deactivated the weaponry. "You heard the man," the Sith told the woman with a sneer. He stepped to the side. "You and your... four friends can enter the bridge, _Jedi."_

The woman narrowed her eyes to distrustful slits. She deactivated her shoto and placed it back onto her belt. She kept her hand on the weapon, however, sure that the Sith would quickly place his blade between her ribs. As she approached the door to the bridge with the other Jedi and three Loyalist Knights, no such secret attack occurred. It came to the woman's attention that the reason for that may be that Revan demanded not just the fear of the warriors underneath his command, but also their respect, their admiration, and their unquestionable loyalty.

That Darth Revan allowed the strike team into the bridge said even more terrifying things altogether. When she had last seen the man in battle, he had held his own against fifteen attacking Jedi Knights on a battlefield. It had been a slaughter. None had known him so intricately as she, of course, but that been of little help before as it was. With the knowledge that – even if the entire strike team of incredibly powerful Jedi and Loyalist Knights had survived – she could still lose, she placed her hand on the power system for the bridge entrance and it slid open.

At the helm of the bridge, five steps above any other present in the ship's command hub, stood Darth Revan, Supreme Dark Lord of the Sith. His black gloved hands were crossed behind his back as he stared out of the main view port, issuing quick commands to his admirals and apprentice on the other ships, his tactics and technology quickly decimating the Triumvirate forces above Telos IV. "Do you like the symbolism in this assault?" Revan asked her as he transferred control of the fleet to his apprentice's secondary flagship. He turned to her. His robes were very much a callback to his namesake's, though a very updated one. The bronze armor, a specialized graphite/cortosis weave, ran across most areas of his body, though it only appeared outside of the black robes at certain places. A bronze chestplate, wristguards, and shoulderpads appeared with almost organic shaping from within the cloth. The cloth itself was fitted at the torso, with a section hanging down in a semicircle around his legs down to Revan's ankles from his waist beneath a belt with a large, circular buckle. And underneath his hood was the mask. The Mask of Revan, an ancient, powerful artifact of Sith and Jedi. No saber sat at his belt. "Telos IV, the planet destroyed in my ancestor's war and restored by the Republic, much like Ossus was. A symbol of the ancient strength of the Jedi... and others who represent those that betrayed me." Revan paused and looked down slightly at the strike team. "Ana..."

The woman shut her violet eyes for a moment before returning Revan's stare. "Revan."

"You won't call me by that name anymore?" Revan asked, false indignation in his voice that was somewhat disguised by the filtration system of the mask. "Was it now _I_ who wronged _you?"_

"I know what I did. I know that I killed Theron. Don't taunt me with it," Ana spat, her eyes welling up with tears. But she wouldn't let herself cry. Not for a moment. She took a deep breath to collect herself. "Don't ever taunt me with that, Darth Revan."

Darth Revan's body language was shaken ever so slightly. "I had hoped it wouldn't come to this. Not again," he said, his fists now clenched at either side of his body. "But you and triumvirate have forced my hand. There are things coming, and I would be remiss to leave the fate of this galaxy to the likes of _you."_

"How do you expect to fight us, Revan?" Ana asked as she ignited her sabers. One, the orange shoto she had reconfigured, now fused with a blaster at the bottom, and a simple white blade. "You have no blade."

"So you kept the crystal, after all this time," Revan muttered, barely audible. His gaze was locked on the white saber, even as the other sabers of Ana's strike team ignited around her. As soon as a single one of his own men ignited their saber, he raised his arm. "No. Do not engage them. Only me."

"Arrogant, are we?" Ana asked, despite knowing it was nothing of the sort. Bragging isn't bragging if it is true.

"Yes," Revan replied as he turned his outstretched hand downward and clenched it into a fist. His arm shook for a moment, and in a flash of brilliant white light, a silver cylinder marked with the Fel Dynasty coat of arms appeared in his hand. The Dark power of the crystal, formed from Darth Vader's – another of Revan's ancestors – ashes, that powered Revan's blade was but a speck compared to the maelstrom it was now among. He thumbed the ignition, and the bloody scarlet of the blade erupted into being. "I am not without mercy, however. Surrender. Perhaps I will allow you to survive."

The strike team made no moves to do as the Sith Lord had commanded. "Pity," he said, the rage finally running through his voice. He was suddenly among the strike team, his saber gliding in sweeping movements that cut through every member of the strike team in a few moments, save Ana, whose twin blades were the last to lock with Revan's.

"I have surpassed you, Ana Gann," Revan said as he flicked his wrist and sent the woman flying across the bridge. "There is nothing left here for you, now, save death."

Ana stumbled to her feet with a shake of her head, trying to clear the effects of the obvious concussion she had just gained for her troubles. Revan walked up to her, and she raised her twin sabers. Revan suddenly stopped and laughed. "What's so funny?" Ana asked as she felt blood leak from her forehead and into her eye.

"I've seen this before," Revan replied as he let his blade fall to his side. He stood on the seal in front of her. "Any last words? Are you going to curse Van's stupid little plan that's going to leave you as broken and lifeless as your father left my parents?"

As Ana began to reply, the ground beneath Revan exploded and his body was flung across the bridge. "Shields compromised! Hull integrity down to twenty percent!" one of the many soldiers working furiously on the defense systems cried out. Another explosion rocked the ship. "Fifteen percent!"

Revan struggled to his knees. "Abandon ship," he commanded, ignoring the woman he had been fighting. His saber disappeared in another flash of light. "Evacuate to the _Behemoth_ , get everyone off and I will follow shortly. Now –!" Revan was cut off by another explosion that sent him flying off again. His body collided with the wall and fell to the ground in a bloody heap.

The first Sith to reach him shrieked in fear as he pulled his hand from the Dark Lord's neck. "He's dead!" he screamed. "Dead!" Panic overflowed throughout the ship, with all Sith and Imperials present in the bridge running off to fulfill their master's last order, terror in every movement and scream. Klaxons accompanied by red, flashing lights soon drowned out everything else.

Ana dragged herself over to Revan's body and clutched at his body. Even if he were dead, she could not leave him. And she wasn't sure she could believe he was _truly_ dead. With whatever effort still lay in her body, Ana grabbed the man's and dragged him away to the escape pods. The Sith and Imperials around her seemed to ignore her, not even noticing she was on the ship at all anymore. Ana looked down at the man she was dragging across the ground. Even if Revan was dead, he could still be very useful to ending the war. And if he wasn't and he could see the error of his ways... maybe even more could be done.

"What's going on?" the grand admiral asked over the comms. "Revan's ship just lost all shields! Is he..."

"Maybe," Ana responded as she hefted the body into the escape pod. "Maybe, Van. Maybe."

Van, the grand admiral, began to reply, but his words over the comm were cut off by another explosion.

SWSWSWSWSW

Leon Reht's eyes flew open as the explosion rocked his bed. The rest of the Sith Special Forces woke up in tandem with him, the entire unit behaving like the distinct pieces of a single body. "What's going on?" the commander of the unit, a Devaronian with sawed down horns by the name of Captain Tarava, asked.

"The ship is under attack, Sir," his second in command responded.

Tarava nodded then turned to his men. "Gear up for defense of the ship, men. The _Jagged Fel_ is under attack by the Triumvirate!"

 **AN: Hey everyone, here it is, the first chapter of the sequel to _The Second Revanfall_. I hope that the story can live up to any expectations that anyone may have or even surpass them. I've posted this in both the story itself and as the preview/epilogue at the end of the original story. If you're reading _Knights of the New Empire_ right now without having read _Revanfall_ , I'd go do that. The story contains everything you need to know about the central conflict that is going to occur in the sequel. Otherwise, please, sit back and enjoy _Star Wars: Knights of the New Empire_.**


	2. Leon Reht

Leon Reht was exceptional. His mother had told him that since the day he had been born, twenty seven years before the attack on the _Jagged Fel_ , on the planet Entralla. His family was not extraordinary, despite their claims that their son was. Leon's father was a clerk in the local Imperial governance offices, mid level. Nothing that would mean big money, but enough for his wife and son to live comfortably. Leon's mother was a trainer for the Stormtroopers that enlisted on the planet. That was how Leon joined the Imperial military at the age of twenty-six. When his mother died in early battles between The True Empire and the Triumvirate, Leon enlisted in the military the next day through some of her friends, thirsting for the front lines and the vengeance that would come with the battles.

His entire life, things had come... rather easily to him. Sports, academia, success. All were as natural to the soldier as breathing. His childhood was full of accolades – and bruises – to show his many victories. So it came as no surprise to anyone who knew the boy that, when he scored in the top of his enlistment class one month after Revan's death, he was quickly pulled through the military to join the most dangerous, most skilled, and, above all else, the most lucky soldiers in the galaxy. Leon knew that his late mother's dreams of his greatness had come true when he had been assigned to advanced training with the Sith Special Forces, one of a dozen applicants. The only one who was picked, at the end of it.

Suddenly, the young human's life had become a whirlwind of danger, excitement, and swashbuckling heroics on the battlefield. In the two months since he had joined the Special Forces unit, he had gone on four missions. Of those four missions, he had been vital in the success of _four._ While awarding the Imperial Medal of Honor to the young man, Commander Tarava had remarked that he had never before seen a soldier with such determination to succeed and the skill to actually do so. That ceremony had been the last time that Leon had seen his father, who had died during a vacation retreat with his co workers when the ship had been attacked by the Triumvirate's forces.

So now that the same thing was happening to the _Jagged Fel_ above Taris – a fact that made Leon... laugh, for some reason – made his excitement at the blood he would soon shed all the greater. Vengeance for his mother and father would soon be his. Still, though, he did not forget his training or discipline. Tarava had pounded into his skull over the course of the past four months of training, and Leon hated to disappoint.

"We're heading to the bridge in five, Squad," Tarava snapped to his five subordinates in the room. He was, of course, already ready. His black and white armor contrasted greatly with the bloody red of his skin. "So hurry your _kriffin_ asses up."

"Sir!" the entire group shouted as they continued to dress. First, Leon pulled the black undersuit over his head, the skintight suit conforming to his body and humming slightly as it prepared to lock the armor itself into place. Next, he pulled the gray torso armor over his head, locking the chest piece and causing the hum to quiet. His finger traced across the rank and awards emblazoned on the uniform in the usual Imperial manner, colored boxes on the left side of the chest. From there, Leon began to pull the rest of the armor. Thigh armor attached via electro-magnetic energy to the undersuit, followed by the gray-black boots. Shoulder pauldrons and gloves next. Leon smiled as he pulled on the left bracer, into which he had carved four simple lines, a symbol tattooed similarly onto his right shoulder. Finally, he grabbed the helmet. It was gray and silver, with a dull shine to it. The face of the helmet was all black plasteel surrounded by what could only be described as a predatory maw, at least in shape. It gave the enemy the idea that the Sith Empire was going to consume them. When he finished, his body was covered with the silvery-gray armor, save the area above his joints. Despite the strength of his armor, it gave him excellent maneuverability. Still, if he took enough blaster fire, the magnetic locks of the armor would fail and he would be left as defenseless as any. And if a lightsaber were to strike him? Leon did not like to dwell on the thought.

Leon then grabbed his blaster rifle, pistol, and extendable vibrosword and magnetically locked them to his suit. In the history of the Imperial tests, no one had scored higher in use of the vibrosword than Leon Reht. True, he was no Imperial Knight or Sith Warrior, but he _was_ good enough to take pretty much any normal swordsman in a fight, fair or not.

"Ready, Saber?" Tarava asked Leon a moment later, using the nickname assigned based on his personal weapon skill set. The commander had personalized armor, emblazoned in the colors of old stormtroopers with small, yet cruel, horns sticking out from where his own natural ones would be.

Leon turned and saluted his commanding officer. "When am I not, Sir?" he asked as he pulled his blaster rifle from over his shoulder. "When I save the ship, I'm taking that one as five."

"Well, you cocky little _kriff_ , you haven't been wrong yet," the commander replied. He laughed, a boisterous, echoing noise over the comms. "Don't start now." Tarava then turned to the squad as a whole. "Saber, you go ahead and scout things out. Find the easiest path to the bridge. Tank, take point for the rest of the team." A Whipid in armor nodded and pulled a huge durasteel slab to be used as a shield off of his back. As Leon ran off, alone, to chart the best way to the bridge, Tarava called after him. "Saber! May the Force be with you."

"Ain't it always?" Leon asked, backpedaling for a moment and grinning arrogantly behind his helmet.

SWSWSWSWSW

Leon crouched before the control conduit of the blast door to the bridge, the dead bodies of countless Triumvirate soldiers littering the halls behind him. He had been ordered to find a path of least resistance to the bridge, and that was close to what he had done. "You can't always find the best way," his mother had once told Stormtroopers during demolitions training, "but you can _always_ blow up the rest of the ways." As he fiddled with the damaged control components to the bridge door, Leon couldn't help but think her heads on approach had been right.

"Now, is it red wire/blue wire, or is it green wire/orange wire..?" he asked himself. Footsteps thudded down the hallway behind him at a full sprint. Messy, uncoordinated. Not his unit. Leon pulled his blaster out and fired three quick shots down the hall without looking, killing the Triumvirate soldiers that had seen him. "Oh, no, it's red and orange. Okay." He pulled the two wires out and the door ahead of him snapped open.

"It's a Sith! Get him!" one of the voices inside urged as the door opened. Leon groaned and dodged around the nearby hallway intersection as blaster fire filled the area he had just been in. He peered around the corner and fired a few blasts, taking down two Triumvirate soldiers. Unfortunately, it seemed as if the entire bridge was filled with soldiers to replace any that fell. Whatever they were after on the _Jagged_ was worth sending more troops than was necessary.

Leon grinned. "Oh, I'll be taking six and seven for this, too," he smirked as he fired a shot through the doors to the bridge.

"Oh, no. You've only taken one for more than this," Tarava stated over comms. Leon laughed to himself as the Whipid form of Tank ran down the hallway, the slab of durasteel magnetically locked to his arm taking the brunt of blaster fire from the Triumvirate forces. The rest of the squad came into view behind the huge soldier and began to take positions killing the Triumvirates, or Trirals. " _Kriff_ , this isn't even actually a mission, Saber."

Leon smiled behind his mask as he turned past the edge of the hall and fired another volley from his pistol, claiming the life of another Triral. The unit itself was a lot like a family, the young man supposed. Tarava was very much a mentor or father figure, comfortable but firm with the soldiers under his charge. While it seemed that the Devaronian was incredibly lax with his soldiers, Leon knew that could not be further from the truth. During his induction to the unit, on the first two missions, the Commander had been incredibly firm, especially in training. A real hard ass. Every maneuver had to be perfect, every movement must be synced up perfectly with the movements of every other soldier. As soon as Tarava had seen that Leon could be trusted to execute his job every time, and exceptionally well at that, he had quickly become the much more jovial man that he was around his subordinates.

This manner of command payed off incredibly well on the calm side as well. Tarava confidence in his soldiers seemed to only magnify their skill, with the gunner, shield tech, and all others functioning at a level they did not believe they had been capable of before becoming part of that unit. It gave, at least to them, credence to the biological statement that an organism is greater than the sum of its parts. As calm as the Commander was, his soldiers were just as comfortable with each other. They almost seemed to communicate without speaking. And, in Leon's case, he could nearly act before the rest of the squad even knew what they needed. Leon had eery instincts, and he knew when to trust them. Leon turned his attention away from the battle his allies were engaging in, and fired at the slight shimmers in the hallway behind the squad. Triumvirate stealth assault droids fizzled as their stealth units broke and their power cells were interrupted.

As the well oiled machine of the Special Forces Unit emptied the steady stream of Trirals in the bridge, Leon could not help but shake a bad feeling. It had come suddenly, and it felt worse than any other he had ever gotten while on mission. It was vague, though, and he could not tell what his instincts were telling him to hide from, so he fought on. "Grenade!" Tank shouted as a small ball rolled past his shield. He turned and slammed the slab on top of the orb, hoping to save his crew. It was worse than the Whipid had expected, however. When the grenade exploded, it was with an ion stream preceded by an electromagnetic pulse. Leon gasped, as did the Commander and the rest of the crew, as their armor deactivated they were left defenseless. Tank, out in front of the squad, stood no chance. Blaster fire rained down on him and he roared in pain and, eventually, death. As he breathed his last, Leon felt a fire of rage ignite in his stomach.

He turned the corner, blaster rifle and pistol drawn, as his armor fell from his body. He screamed in rage, deaf to his Commander's commands to stop. He dodged under and around the blaster fire that streamed towards him, always in the one spot where the beams of plasma were not. His weapons never stopped firing as he did so, each bolt claiming the life of one of the enemy soldiers just moments before the next did the same. Leon entered the room without a single scratch of damage on him, having already claimed the lives of dozens of Triral soldiers. As the last enemy soldier died, Leon dropped his weapons and began slamming his fist into the enemy's face. "Saber." Leon ignored the voice. "Saber." His fists felt so good pounding into the Triumvirate's face. "Leon!"

The soldier snapped up, breathing heavily. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Sir," he said finally, standing at attention. "I..."

"Get some new armor for yourself, kid. Ours is fried," Cypher, Tarava's nickname for Tech Sergeant Xera, a Chiss woman, said. Leon sighed, but nodded. He peeled some Triumvirate armor off of one of the nearby soldiers and took of his helmet before placing the triumvirate armor over his shoulders. It was lighter, thinner, like a slightly thicker version of the undersuit. It was made for quick, unimpeded strikes, not the type of battle the Empire had prepared for. Unlike his armor, his superior comm had been shielded, partially, by the specialized wiring of both itself and the helmet, but was still rebooting, so he left it in. The red and white armor of the Triumvirate soldier felt odd on his shoulders, like a diseased weight had been placed on him. It was with this feeling that he passed Tank's body, the rage flaring up again for a moment, to collect his vibrosword. He came back a moment later to see Cypher and Tarava crouched over the central computer. "The download's almost complete, Sir."

"What download, Sir?" Leon asked his commander.

The Devaronian, steely and cold for once, ignored Leon and looked over at Turret and Shot, the other two surviving members of the squad. "Cover the entrance," he told them. He looked over at Cypher, who nodded and unplugged an EMP shielded datapad. "Good. Now that the data is downloaded, we can get off of this ship."

"All of you, under the authority of the Jedi Council, Alliance Chancellor, and the Moff Council... surrender," a new voice called. Shot and Turret were on the ground, groaning and clutching at the stumps of their arms. Leon's gaze went red with a rage he was not entirely sure was his own. A Jedi in plain, brown robes stood between the smoking limbs of Shot and Turret, his blue saber extended out from his left hand. Brown, calculating eyes gazed out beneath clean cut blonde hair.

The room was quiet for a moment. Finally, a power conduit exploded behind the Jedi, catching his attention. Cypher deactivated a holo computer from her undersuit and turned to Tarava and Leon. "We need to hurry," she said. Tarava nodded and grabbed the datapad from Cypher's hand.

"We need to kill him!" Leon snapped, drawing his vibrosword.

"Don't be stupid, he's a Jedi!" Cypher said as another of the conduits exploded, timed as she had programmed it to do so. The Jedi stopped before the electrocuted plasma could hit him. She grabbed Leon's shoulder and dragged him alongside her and Tarava to the other exit. "It'll take me a moment to open the door. Just don't die."

Leon nodded, but was surprised when Tarava turned to him. "You are the best soldier I have ever seen, Leon," he said. Leon's eyes widened – the Commander never used real names. Not even in the awards ceremonies. Tarava stuck his hand out and grabbed Leon's with his other before dropping a small drive into his hand. "You're in disguise. You're the most likely to live."

Another conduit exploded. "Sir, I can open the door, but then it will be open. Unless..."

"What?" Tarava asked as he drew his vibrosword and stood between the Jedi and his men. The Jedi raised his saber and pointed it at the unit, demanding their surrender.

"Unless I stay on this side and seal it again," Cypher said sullenly as the door slid open. Tarava sighed, then turned and shoved Leon through the open door.

"Fly, you fool," Tarava told the wide eyed Leon. He turned back to the Jedi, who shook his head disappointingly. "Do it." A cursory glance at Cypher, and she knew to seal the door again. Before Leon could run back in to save his... his family, the door slammed shut right before him.

"NO!" Leon screamed as he fell to his knees. He dropped the datapad and pounded on the bulkhead with open palms, begging to be let back in. The noises behind the door echoed into his ears: a lightsaber humming and burning through the air, carving through the bodies of Leon's unit, his friends. Then it went quiet. "No..."

Then a blue blade erupted through the bulkhead right next to Leon's head, the heat of the plasma burning his face and the magnetic field causing his hair to stick straight up. He kneeled there, frozen for a moment. Then the lightsaber began to drag through the bulkhead, melting down the barrier between Leon and the Jedi. With a single snarl of rage, Leon finally did as his commanding officer had ordered. He grabbed the datapad and tore its data storage unit out. He thought, for a brief moment, to draw his vibrosword and die, taking the Jedi with him if he could. Instead, he turned and ran, knowing he would never forgive the Jedi. His vision went red again and he ran, almost feeling sorry for the next group of Trirals he happened upon. He had a lot of rage he needed to work out.


	3. Not Alone

**AN: Hey everyone, sorry this took longer than usual. I actually had this finished earlier, but I thought that releasing a chapter about a hijacking during the week or weekend of the memorial of 9/11 was really tasteless. Real quick, let's all just – regardless of creed – take a moment to remember those that fell in that or any other tragedy. Maybe say a prayer.**

 **Okay, back to the story.**

 **Okay, so, CerberusAgent0001 – I hope that what I have planned will surprise even one as sharp as you. I don't want to give too much away, but you are on to something. Secondly, I'm not sure what kind of KotOR story this would be if the main character didn't eventually find out about the Force. Leon will eventually become a Force User, but the goal of this story is to be both familiar and a twist at the same time for anyone who played the game. He ain't a Jedi, I'll say that much.**

Disguises don't do much good when covered in the blood of a dozen Triumvirate soldiers whose corpses are scattered around, as Leon learned. The blood that he spilled had formed a puddle around his feet, the reds, blues, and greens of different races never mixing but instead forming a spiral of sickly smelling fluids. Leon breathed heavily and stared into space, the pain of losing his unit – his friends – finally hitting him. He felt like giving up, waiting for his own blood to add to the art of death beneath his feet. It _hurt_ that, once again, his entire family was dead. All that was left were those he had grown up around on Entralla, but that was especially hollow. The town had been divided by the war, with a majority joining the Triumvirate that had betrayed them. Leon had no one. His ache was a familiar one, but no less painful.

Leon found that he could still surprise himself, however. Despite his desire to die, to lay down and wait for the end, he found he could not. Pain ricocheted through his arm, originating from a blaster bolt impact site on his left shoulder. That pain, combined with the final words of Tarava, were enough to jolt his will back into existence. Still, it hurt like a _schutta_.

" _Kark_ ," Leon spat to himself. He didn't know how much time he had wasted during his hazy rage, but he knew without a doubt that the blonde Jedi from before was quickly advancing on him. Leon had to make his way to the escape pod launch bay, maybe find a way onto the planet below. Then... maybe then he could signal the Empire that he had... whatever information was on the data drive.

Leon's thoughts were interrupted by the pounding of feet. His eyes rose from the spiral beneath his feet to gaze hard at the Trirals who had just arrived. Suddenly, the fire within Leon's gut erupted once again. With an almost physical effort, he fought to keep it contained. To fulfill Tarava's last order, Leon had to be clear of mind. He could not fall once again into the endless, bloody rage he had just escaped. He had to get out of the ship, and to do that he had to be level headed. Still, that didn't mean he couldn't take out enemy soldiers before him.

"What's wrong with him?" one of the soldiers hissed at another. "He's... it's like he's gone mad!"

Leon's brain couldn't make sense of what the soldier was saying, but only for a split second. He nearly laughed as he realized that he was still wearing the Triumvirate disguise, but was able to stifle it to a mere cough. He turned his steely sharp gray eyes back towards the Trirals. "Sergeant, put the sword down," the lead soldier said, aiming his blaster at Leon's head. Leon glanced down at his shoulder, where the Triumvirate sergeant insignia was proudly displayed.

"I'm telling you, it's Sith magic!" the first soldier shouted. "Lieutenant, he's too far gone!"

"Shut up, Nerf herder!" the lead soldier hissed back, still walking slowly towards Leon. His hand was outstretched towards the blood covered Sith trooper. "Come on. Give me the blade."

Leon couldn't contain his snickering at that. In just a moment, his cocky – albeit deservedly so – sarcasm was back. "Poor choice of words," he told the Lieutenant, whose eyebrows raised inquisitively. That quizzical expression quickly turned into one of pain as Leon's vibrosword slashed through the Lieutenant's wrist. Leon grabbed the soldier and placed the screaming man's body between the Trirals and Leon's own. "Now, I'd like to point out that firing at me would only get your commanding officer... well, dead as durasteel. Throw your weapons down, maybe you'll all live."

"Like hell!" the first soldier snapped. "There's six of us, one of you."

Leon laughed again and his vibrosword snapped back into its cylindrical stowing mode. His now free hand drifted towards the blaster still strapped to the Triral lieutenant's shoulder. "You Trirals severely overestimate yourselves," he lectured the men as they readied their blasters. "That little tingle in the back of your necks? Your hair standing up? Yeah, that's your instincts telling you you're going to die. Now. Just like these lovely, moronic, traitorous bastards at my feet. I give you all... four seconds. Three. You can still run away. Two... No? One. No takers. Really? Fine. Zero." Leon's finger squeezed the trigger before any of the Triral soldiers could respond. Six bolts of red plasma flew through the hallway of the ship, each passing through the skull of a single Triumvirate soldier. "Hm... that one was too far to the left. Must be getting sloppy."

Leon dropped the still screaming lieutenant and snapped his vibrosword back to battle mode. "You _kriffing_ monster! What the _kark_ did you do!?" the lieutenant screamed. "They were your allies! What is wrong with you!?"

"You Trirals really are dense," Leon said with a sigh and a shake of his head. He grinned derisively. "Bodes well for my side, I suppose."

The lieutenant's eyes widened. "But... but this ship's Sith are dead. And the Jedi... they killed the Special Forces... Who..."

"Never trust a Jedi to do competent work," Leon told the lieutenant, mock sympathy running through his voice. "You'll always end up disappointed." With that, he brought his vibrosword down through the man's neck.

While Leon tore his blade from the now open throat of the Triumvirate lieutenant, he was brought back to reality by the chirping of his communicator that cut through the soldiers dying gurgles. "Open channel," he whispered, and the communicator quickly obliged. "Hello. Who is this?"

"Hello? Finally! It's _karking_ amazing to hear from someone else on our side who isn't... well, you know," the voice on the other side of the line said. A woman, probably about Leon's age.

"Yeah, I do," he said as he ducked into the nearby medcenter, the doors opening and closing with a soft, but noticeable, hiss. It wouldn't be much of a hiding place, given the huge bloody footprints he kept leaving behind, but at least he would know if someone was following those footprints. His voice was hollow. It was only the two of them left? "Where are you? I can help get you out. And the first question still stands: who are you?"

"Oh, so sorry," the woman said anxiously. It sounded like she slapped herself in the forehead. "I... I'm Commander Erea Naga. I am... was, I guess, one of Knight Korienn's personal bodyguards. He is the – well, former, I should say – Imperial Knight Captain of the ship. He's..."

"Damn. It would have been nice to have a Knight on our side," Leon cursed as Erea's pause went on. "I'm... I'm Saber."

"That's a weird name," the woman remarked.

"Identity is important. I don't know if I can trust you with who I really am yet," Leon responded. "Where are you?"

"Escape pod bay, so it seems like it will be _I_ who is helping _you_. You're the first person I was able to get into contact with. I'm monitoring your life signs through the _Fel_ 's life support systems. Medbay, right? Look, meet me in the bay as soon as you can. After that... Wait... two Triumvirate droids advancing on your position. Get ready," the woman warned. Before she signed off: "I'll be in contact. May the Force be with you."

The line went dead. Leon groaned for a moment before grabbing a spare bacta pack from the nearby medtable. He jammed the injector into the bolt wound on his arm, and the muscle and skin immediately began to react with the kolto-like substance, quickening his natural healing reaction with the tingling feeling of muscle and skin simultaneously tearing away the dead cells while stitching together new ones.

Leon didn't have much time to let his still healing arm settle, however, as two Triral battle droids had entered the medbay. Just as he had expected, the droids had followed his bloody footprints. "This disguise isn't cutting it anymore," Leon growled to himself as he readied his blade. Across the room, he spied some Sith armor. Unlike his usual armor, this was a brighter silver. It would make him more of a target to the Triral troopers on the ship, but it would probably keep Erea from shooting him in the face at first sight.

Leon waited for the droids to follow his bloody footprints closer to his location. Once they were just around the corner of the nearest bacta tank, he made his move. Leon's vibrosword slashed through the orange and black neck of the first war droid, causing its skull-like head to crash to the ground. His next swipe at the second droid was blocked by the built in blade that the second droid utilized. _Beskar_ plates built into the forearms of the droids that snapped out for combat use with cruel, jagged lines.

The second droid was almost a carbon copy of its brother: the obviously mass produced model's body was mostly orange body accented by white and black stripes that gave the droid the look of a skeleton. The True Empire's soldiers had taken to calling them "Bones."

Leon brought his blade around to the other side of the droid, narrowly missing the robotic being's neck as a second blade shot out of its left wrist. "Cease and desist, Organic," the droid stated as Leon took a step back.

 _Dammit. This is taking too long_ , Leon cursed inwardly. The droid should have already been scrap metal. Taking on this droid _and_ a Jedi would be painful, if not outright suicidal. Leon deflected one of the incoming droid blades and ducked under the other. The droid landed a sharp blow to his gut with its leg and Leon flew upward, colliding with the ceiling of the medbay, then falling down, towards the outstretched blades of the droid. " _Kriff_." Leon fell towards the droid, and death. He knew the end was only a short ways away.

 _Not yet..._

Leon was surprised when he hit the ground, sparks hitting his face, tingling against his skin. He opened his eyes. The vibrosword that had been in his hand was now sticking out of the droid's power converter. He had... he had killed it. "But..." Leon shook his head. He didn't have time for that. He walked over to the Sith armor, which unfortunately had no helmet, and quickly replaced his burnt and blood covered Triral uniform. As he placed his blaster pistol and vibrosword at his hip, he couldn't help but gaze back at the still sparking droid. How _had_ he killed it? He didn't remember moving the vibrosword. He didn't remember... well, much, really.

As pain shot through his left arm again, Leon grimaced. The bacta hadn't fixed his arm entirely, yet. And the coming battles would only aggravate the wound more. Leon grabbed extra packs for the escape pod journey and stashed them in the mag-lock pack of the armor. _Not yet..._ Whose voice had that been? His own? It was the only logical answer... but he still wasn't quite sure. The voice had been familiar, yet –

"Hey you okay, nameless one?" Erea asked over comms. "You haven't moved in... a while."

"Just... getting my bearings. Thanks for the heads up on the droids," Leon responded. He magnetically locked the last bits of armor to his now rebooted undersuit. "What's the path of least resistance? There's a Jedi on my tail."

"Look, the entire ship is crawling with Triumvirate soldiers," the woman responded. "Honestly, your guess is as _kriffing_ good as mine. I'm working on getting video and some access to the ship's systems. Once I've done that, I should be able to find the quickest path for you, maybe even clear your way a little bit. Until then, Saber."

Leon grunted an affirmation and signed off from the comm system. Before running, he glanced down at his left bracer and furrowed his brow. He pulled his vibrosword from his hip again and increased its vibration function before placing it directly against the armguard. A few moments later, he had carved four simple tally marks into the arm. Leon closed his eyes for a moment in remembrance of his fallen allies, then marched off to fulfill his fifth mission.

SWSWSWSWSW

Outside the _Jagged Fel_ medbay – ten minutes later

The Jedi Knight knelt sadly next to the broken, carved forms of his troops. He had underestimated the Sith Special Forces, and those he was sworn to protect had paid the price. The data he had been sent to collect from the bridge's mainframe had been deleted, the only remaining copies were in Kaas City, behind an armada of Sith ships and lightsabers, or in the hands of that foolish boy. Even when he captured the data, the losses were too great, regardless of what information he was chasing.

The Jedi cast out a few words of apology to the dead soldiers nearby, calling them each by name. He raised his gaze to the medbay and walked in, hoping to find the dead form of the Sith who had claimed the lives of the soldiers. Instead, the Jedi only found the smoking husks of two high-end, top of the line battle droids, CQC specialty for the enclosed spaces of starships. Both of them held the evidence of being carved through by a vibrosword. The Jedi snarled. "At least I'll get to kill the monster myself," he spat. Then he froze. The Jedi code preached that vengeance was wrong. But one who would kill in such a manner..? Did they truly deserve the life they had? The Jedi decided, no they did not. The Code did not contain all truths, all realities. Righteous anger was just that: righteous. The Jedi ignited his saber, the blue light illuminating the rage in his eyes. When he spoke again, his voice was filled with an icy anger. "Your luck is about to run out, monster."

The Jedi ran off, not understanding that what he had said was completely foolish. Any Jedi Master worth their lightsaber, or any Sith or Imperial Knight for that matter, is experienced in not only battle but the deeper mysteries of the Force. The ebbs and flows of its strength, both light and dark regardless of their own proclivities. The river of power that flows into the bodies of the countless Force adepts and masters throughout the galaxy, throughout the universe. Cause and effect rule everything, and a single act on Hoth can have an effect on Coruscant years into the future or the past. Throughout all of that beautifully chaotic movement was a steady undercurrent. For a galaxy full of trillions upon trillions of acts within a single second to have even a single coincidence... that itself would be a terrible coincidence. As any Jedi has ever told their padawan, "There is no luck, there is only the will of the Force."

The Jedi Knight was about to learn that the hard way.


	4. Escape from the Fel

Leon's grip on his blaster was becoming increasingly slick. He had nearly sweat through the bantha leather palms of his gloves, from both stress and the heat. The world around him flashed red and screamed with the painful terror of klaxons. Leon was surrounded by five, maybe six, Triral soldiers. Their blasters were all trained directly on his head, ready to fire arcs of deadly plasma through his body, ending his life, at any moment. With trepidation, Leon moved to activate his personal energy shield on his left forearm: it wouldn't deflect all the bolts, but it would give him time to take out at least half of the soldiers present. After that, he'd have to wing it. Fun, if dangerous.

"Freeze! We don't want to have to kill you!" one of the soldiers, a Rodian woman to Leon's left, commanded. Despite what she had said, her trigger finger twitched expectantly. Leon did as was recommended – better to be captured momentarily then escape than to die and not escape at all. Still, it was embarrassing. "Drop your blasters!"

Leon narrowed his eyes, but did as he was told. His pistol and rifle fell to the ground, where he slid them across the ground towards the Rodian. The blue skinned, buglike alien nudged them away with her foot and spoke again, "Now, keep your hands behind your back and walk slowly towards me!" Leon slid his hands down his sides – "Slowly, Sith!" – and then to his back. He was playing a dangerous game, but it was already playing out in his favor. Leon had always been lucky, after all. "Now walk to me – again, slowly."

Leon furrowed his brow angrily as he walked towards the Rodian. His thumb was already on the activator for his energy shield, and his fingers were curled around his only chance at survival. When he was within a few feet of the Rodian, he pressed the button and his face took on a look of disdain. He whipped his activating vibrosword around through the air and decapitated the Rodian. Blaster fire immediately began to bounce off of the thin magnetic membrane surrounding his body, the impulse slightly tickling him even through his armor.

Leon continued through with his assault, driving his shoulder into the chest of the nearest soldier, tripping her down to the floor. Leon then turned to the next one, dodging – somehow – between the barrage of blasterfire that was assaulting him from all sides. As he assaulted the third soldier, slashing off the Twi'lek's hand and snatching his blaster from the air. Leon turned to the other soldiers and fired his blaster, simultaneously slashing back at the Twi'lek's throat as he did. Unfortunately, his assault had given the enemy soldiers ample time to hit his stationary form; with a low beep Leon's energy shield approached its limits and shorted out against his skin. As blasterfire collided with his unshielded body, Leon grimaced and threw himself to the side behind a nearby table. His skin was slightly singed from the blasterfire that had glanced across the _beskar_ weave of his armor. For not the first time, Leon was incredibly glad that Revan had been able to make a personal deal with Failyn Ordo and her Mandalorians for the _beskar_ that had saved his life on many an occasion.

"Are you done toying around?" Erea asked over comms. Leon growled as the blaster fire flew through the air above his head, leaving smoking scorch marks on the wall opposite the table. "We don't have long before the ship is destroyed. We don't have time for screwing around!"

"Oh, I'm sorry that my death defying antics have bored you," Leon retorted as he glanced over the table. He immediately ducked back down as a blaster bolt grazed his hair. "Unfortunately, I'm still a little busy. So wait."

Leon shut off the comm and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. When he opened his eyes again, it was as if the world was moving slower. He was so focused, so intent, on the fight that he wasn't even registering that he seemed to know where the enemy soldiers were aiming before they even did. He jumped over the table, instinctively twisting his body between two oncoming blaster bolts. They moved quickly, but it was no longer near the speed that the plasma bursts formerly appearing nearly instantaneously at their targets. They were dangerous, true, but Leon was beyond dangerous.

His blade sang through the air, a silvery light that whistled as it vibrated and sliced the air. His saber stabbed into one of the soldier's chests and he lashed out with his foot. The alien woman fell down, unconscious, even as her colleague's life bled out of him. With that, Leon turned to the two surviving soldiers and fired his stolen blaster. The plasma ran from his weapon towards the terrified soldiers, who became preoccupied with just surviving. Eventually, the two crashed into each other and the blaster fire ran through one. Their bodies crashed to the ground, entwined together with the corpse atop his former squadmate. Leon aimed the blaster at the begging man's face and pulled the trigger. The room was quiet as Leon turned again towards the unconscious soldier and, with a feeling of both pity and disgust, he killed her as well. Time returned to normal.

"Wow, that was..."

"Commander," Leon noted as he resheathed his blade and mag-locked the blaster to his thigh.

Erea was silent for a moment, then, "Well, I suppose I can understand why they called you Saber." Her voice was falsely light, joking. The line crackled for a moment, the explosions riddling the ship's hull affecting communications momentarily. "That was disturbing."

"Survival is a battle of tooth and nail, Commander Naga," Leon replied as he walked towards the door. "It is rarely beautiful. It sounds as if you were successful in obtaining a video feed."

"I... yes, I was" the commander replied. She was silent for a short while. "Why did you kill her? She was unconscious, helpless..."

"My choices were that, or risk a later attack. Commander, I need you to check for a Jedi on the path behind me. How far back is this Jedi that is hunting me?" Leon asked emotionlessly. He did not care for this avenue of thought – it was unimportant to him. The Triumvirates had not stopped to think when they had killed his father on his commercial ship, so why should he think of killing their soldiers. He was not the bad guy in those scenarios. "I would rather not die on account of a pointless debate on the morality of warfare. Honor is a fool's tool – Glory is of no use to the dead."

Comms crackled for a moment. "A Jedi?"

"Yes," Leon said as he opened the next door.

"It looks like he's three or four rooms back, gaining fast. I'd run if I were you," the commander noted.

"That's probably enough time," Leon said as he sprinted down the next hallway. He slowed to a halt outside of the next door. "I'm here."

"Okay, door's locked," Erea told him. "Just give me a couple seconds to get it open."

" _YOU!_ "

Leon snarled and turned to the blonde Jedi. The soldier's vibrosword was already out, ready to – barely – fend off the coming attack. "He caught up," Leon snarled into the comm. To the Jedi: "You killed my friends!"

"And you are a monster bathed in blood," the Jedi retorted. The blue saber at his side flickered menacingly. Leon thought, for a moment, that he saw the Jedi's eyes flicker to a yellow the soldier was more accustomed to seeing amongst the Sith he served under. "Any friends of yours _deserved_ death!"

"Shut up, _Schutta!_ " Leon roared, his vision bleeding into an angry, baleful red. The world around him disappeared, and all he knew was battle. Blade and bone and blood and death that he would inflict upon the wretched, disgusting creature that threatened him, that had... Leon couldn't quite remember, but he knew that the being with a blue sword before him deserved unimaginable pain. Leon's rage-warped mind was quick to oblige in granting that just dessert.

Leon rushed forward, screaming at the top of his lungs. His cortosis weave sword slashed through the air, narrowly missing the face of the enemy. The Jedi said something, taunting Leon, but he couldn't hear. He was too busy moving into his next attack, blade already stabbing furiously through the air where the Jedi stood. Brown robes tangled on the vibrosword's edge, shredding the cloth that trailed behind the Jedi as he dodged the attack. A noise buzzed faintly in Leon's ear, the ghosts of words in his mind.

The fight continued, with the Jedi seeming to toy with the soldier, that same angry, yellowing glint in his eyes as he stared down at the ordinary man. Every one of Leon's attacks missed by the smallest margin, but the Jedi was moving slowly, deliberately with every one of Leon's attacks. The Jedi could have moved out of the way with more room to spare, but instead seemed to enjoy the frustration he was putting Leon through. "That's it, get angrier. I want to kill the monster that killed my men," the soldier spat, the noise just barely making its way through the haze of bloodlust that permeated Leon's mind. The words had the desired effect, driving Leon to the brink of savagery. His grip on his blade grew ever tighter, the sweaty palms of his gauntlets slipping and squeaking against the hilt of the vibrosword until...

Leon's blade flew from his hand as he slashed down at the Jedi, the blade soaring through the air. The Jedi laughed and raised his hand. Suddenly, an invisible wall collided with Leon and sent him rushing towards the wall. He collided with the durasteel with a loud thud, and the haze of rage in his mind was replaced with a dull, throbbing pain. As the rage ebbed out of his body and gasped in pain. He had a lightsaber burn, painful but nothing serious, on his left forearm. He hadn't even noticed that.

"Leon! I said run! Can you hear me!?" Erea was basically screaming over the comms, trying to get the other soldier to finally hear her. The concussion ensured her words broke through the fracturing wall of his rage. "Leon!"

"Run," Leon croaked into the earpiece. The world around him was spinning; it hurt to talk.

"Who are you talking to?!" the Jedi snapped. He swung his lightsaber into Leon's face, inches away from Leon's eyes. The Jedi's gaze flicked to the locked doorway. "Some other monster in there?"

"Go... to hell," Leon snarled between ragged breaths.

The Jedi laughed cruelly and his skin palled, cracking. Then it was gone. Perhaps Leon had imagined it. "Willing to sacrifice your own life for another?" the blonde man asked. He smiled, eyes half lidded. "If you weren't irredeemable, I would find that endearing. Instead, it just informs me there is another monster in there." The Jedi turned to the door. "Don't worry. You're next."

"No... Run, Naga," Leon snarled, dragging himself across the ground.

"Not without you!" the woman replied desperately. "Just... wait, I'll figure something out. Give me a few seconds!"

Leon laughed dryly at what the woman begged. He struggled up to his feet, collecting his still active vibrosword from between two plates of the wall's durasteel tiling. "Stop," Leon growled at the Jedi. The blonde man froze and turned slowly towards Leon, eyes intrigued in the odd sight of a normal man desperate to get in a sword fight with a Jedi. Leon took ragged breaths and stood off center.

"And what do you hope to accomplish, hm?" the Jedi asked. His lightsaber hung at his side, humming and smelling faintly of ozone. The lights of the ship flickered as an explosion rocked the hull, causing the hallway to be bathed in the faint blue light of the Jedi's saber.

"Just a few seconds," Leon breathed. He groaned and clutched at his torso – he had broken ribs.

"I doubt that you will succeed in that," the Jedi responded, raising his saber towards Leon.

"Maybe, maybe not," Leon said, taking a deep, shaking breath and letting it out. Again, the world seemed to slow down. Leon noticed it this time, however. The Jedi seemed to move as if he were a normal person as he attacked, his blue blade moving faster than most could react. But Leon was able to easily deflect the blade. _No_ , he thought _, it's slower than a normal fighter_.

"What are you!?" the Jedi snapped as Leon deflected a savage flurry of strikes, suddenly unencumbered by the fractures in his ribs, of the concussion rattling his brain. Energy flowed through Leon with an intensity he did not quite understand. Adrenaline, he knew, could do amazing things, and now he was a firsthand witness.

"What are you!?" the Jedi screamed again, his assault becoming more and more wild. Inexact. Strong, but with a distinct lack of any finesse, a depressing oddity in a Jedi. Leon had heard the Sith claim that rage made one more exact, more powerful. Perhaps in a Jedi this was a falsity.

Or perhaps not. The blue saber of the Jedi came down hard on Leon's saber, the sweat of his palms once again working against him. The powerful hit slapped Leon's blade from his wrist and to the ground. The Jedi slammed his palm into Leon's midsection, and with a burst of Force, Leon landed on the wall. He did not fall, however. The Jedi held his arm out, pointed at Leon with a clawed hand grasping the air. Leon felt pressure build around his neck. He was being choked to death.

After the first minute, his brain began shrieking. It wanted air. It _needed_ air. Especially with the concussion. The second minute was worse. The brain began to feel like it was burning, suffering in earnest. He began seeing things. The brain cannot easily process unknown information, like an invisible hand strangling the life out of someone. When faced with such uncertainties, the brain decides to show one the most terrifying things it can imagine. Fictions, myths that were harbored in the deepest, darkest memories of the sapient mind. Minute three... most humans don't last that long.

Luckily, at the tail end of minute two, Leon did not die. In fact, he was no longer being strangled at the end of that minute. There was an explosion of plasma laced electricity from the door conduit, accompanied by the hissing of the door opening. The Jedi was not able to dodge this trap, focused as he was on slowly tearing the life away from Leon. The Jedi screamed in pain as the electrified plasma arced across his skin, lightly charring it at odd intervals. Leon fell to the ground, just outside of the reach of the energy. The Jedi fell to his knees as the energy dissipated, and immediately fell unconscious.

Leon breathed heavily for a moment, then collected his vibrosword and glanced down at the lightsaber. Cautiously, he reached down and picked it up. With a flick of his thumb, he activated the blue blade and aimed it at the Jedi's throat. The world slowly began to return to normal: the burns on his skin, the throbbing in his skull, the sharp pain of his broken ribs poking into his internal organs. He'd need to take a month long bath in bacta once this was all over, and that would just be to fix the surface injuries. "Don't kill him."

Leon closed his eyes and smiled. "Commander Naga," he said. He looked over at the woman, still smiling knowingly. She was tall, probably nearly 1.8 meters. Human. Her eyes were a deep, warm green that rested underneath red, sideswept bangs and a bob. She wore military dress, the maroon dress shirt, pants, and boots customary of True Empire formal uniform. A collection of small, but notable, medals adorned her left breast. Erea Naga's eyes were filled with things that are enviable and rare, if dangerous: mercy and pity.

"Don't kill him," she said again, simply. "Just don't."

Leon looked at the woman, dumbfounded at what she was asking of him. The Jedi had murdered his... his family. "No. I'm going to kill him." Leon raised the blue saber.

"NO!" Erea shrieked, jolting towards Leon. He froze, the blade hovering in the air. "Don't kill needlessly. We're not monsters, despite what he said."

"He killed my entire unit," Leon responded. His eyes were fixed on the unconscious Jedi's face. The lightsaber wavered in his hand. "Their blood screams for vengeance, Commander Naga. A Jedi versus any soldier, no matter how skilled, should mean death. He showed no mercy, so I should not."

"It's Erea. And show you are better than him. Show you will not kill an unarmed man!" she begged. She walked up to Leon and placed her hands on his shoulders. "If you do, maybe he will defect. Come to the right side. Please."

Leon blinked slowly. "You aren't going to drop this until I agree, are you?" he asked her. She nodded. Leon sighed and deactivated the lightsaber. He maglocked it onto his belt next to the vibrosword. "Fine... I don't feel strong enough to argue anyways." Leon fell to his knees, his upper weight barely supported by Erea's grasp.

"Let's get into the escape pod," Erea stated. She, with great difficulty, was able to drag the man, who was quickly falling into unconsciousness, into the nearest escape pod. "It's the only one I'll eject – it'll look like a misfire."

"Hope... I don't regret... letting... live," Leon said as he slipped in and out of consciousness. "Or... your fault..."

"Yeah, nice," Erea replied as she sealed the escape pod and programmed the S.O.S. Beacon, but did not activate it. Did not want the Triumvirate fleet picking up the call. With an explosive burst, the capsule jettisoned into space, drifting amongst the fleet of the Triumvirate that had surrounded the _Jagged Fel_ on its path from contested Outer Core territories to Imperial Space proper. "We're going to have to wait until their fleet enters Hyperspace. Their gravity is pulling us away from Taris."

Leon struggled to his knees and glanced out the pod's viewport. "... close... Too close," Leon noted. He grimaced in pain as a lightning bolt traveled through his nerve center. "Bacta... pack..."

Erea nodded and pulled the pack on Leon's armor open, grabbing the dozen or so bacta packs in it. She placed them to the side of the pod, then turned her attention to Leon, tearing the metallic outer shell of his armor from his body. Movement outside of the escape pod caught her eye, causing her to freeze. "No..."

The pod had drifted incredibly close to one of the frigates of the fleet, too close in fact. The customary streaking of the white stars began outside of the pod. "We're caught in the fleet's Hyperspace wake," Erea mumbled. And then, the space they had occupied was empty. The fleet was gone, Leon and Erea with it.

SWSWSWSWSW

The Captain's boots clacked worriedly as he entered the bridge. The man he was about to talk to was not a bad man, by any means. In fact, he was a hero of the Triumvirate and known for his incredibly merciful nature. The Admiral was also incredibly passionate, driven in the protection of the government and peoples that he served in battle against the Sith Empire and their current leader, Darth Nernyn. Failure had not been an option in their assault on the _Fel_ , not to the Admiral, but failure was the result nonetheless. The Captain shivered as the Jedi who had led the assault on the ship passed on a medical gurney, screaming from the painful wounds that ran up and down his arms. Who could do that to a Jedi?

The bridge, when the Captain entered, was a flurry of activity. Different soldiers and tacticians ran about, planning moves in the war hours ahead. They were preparing for any possibility of what would be found amongst the data of the _Jagged Fel_ 's main computer system. The Captain almost pitied the uselessness of their scurrying movements.

At the center of the bridge stood the Admiral, grouped with his central advisers around a map of the galaxy. He was in his early thirties or late twenties, the youngest Grand Admiral in the history of any galactic government. He held a cane in his right hand, some sort of wood from Yavin IV, to support his limping movements. He had brown hair with matching dark eyes, and a face that held hints that it once smiled much more often. "What is it Captain?" the Admiral asked as the man approached, not even looking up from the intelligence before him.

The Captain snapped to attention. "Sir, I regret to inform that the information in the system was cleansed before it could be taken. The mission was a failure, Admiral Taas."

The Admiral stood up from the table, putting his weight on his cane. He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "It's not your fault, Captain," the Admiral assured sadly. He opened his eyes and Van Taas turned to the Captain again. "Did the secondary objective succeed?"

The Captain nodded. "Yes, Sir. We found the bodies of the Sith Special Forces in the bridge with a wake of destruction. There was one Sith Imperial Knight aboard killed during the first salvo, it would appear. However, Jedi Knight Braden Zerr was found horribly wounded and without his lightsaber."

Admiral Taas frowned. "Question Knight Zerr as soon as possible. If there was a Sith, perhaps the information survived with him," the Admiral noted. He looked towards the hyperdrive techs. "Set course for Coruscant – the Triumvirs will want to hear what the Jedi has to say."


	5. Tales from Coruscant

**AN: Sorry that this is taking longer than usual. School just started for me, and it's getting more and more crazy. Things will probably start coming a little slower. Not stopping though, never. There's a little angry voice in my head that shrieks every time it thinks I'm taking too long.**

 **Anyways, to HK Target Shooter, I hope you enjoy the Theron Fel in this chapter. I know it's not much, but bear with me. He'll pop up some more throughout Leon's story. I think Theron is a pretty fun character with a good moral compass, even as a Sith... or whatever he was.**

 **Enjoy**

Two Months Before Revan's Death

Theron Fel walked silently down the brightly lit corridor. Coruscant's capital district in summer, outside at least, was hot. The heat from the sun was reflected a thousand times by the sprawling ecumenopolis, threatening heatstroke on any that dawdled too long outside of copious shade. In his black, armored robes, Revan was hard pressed – even inside and using his intensely powerful Force abilities – to stay conscious. That was, of course, nothing to say of the three-warrior entourage he had brought with him to the planet. Those Sith and Imperial Knights did not have the tech Theron had built into his armor over the past eighteen months to keep him at a comfortable temperature at all times, a design actually based on the one within his mask.

"Why are we even here?" Revan's closest bodyguard asked. Revan turned his gaze on the man, who froze for a moment. Most Sith were still accustomed to Nihl's ancient tactic of 'murder anyone who fails or questions you.' Doesn't exactly help one's army learn from its mistakes. "My Lord?"

Revan laughed to himself and turned away from his retinue. "I honestly wondered the same myself when I received the message, Frius. Laughing in their face, killing them quickly," Revan replied finally. The Triumvirate had sent Theron Fel himself a pleading message of fear. They desperately wanted to make peace with the man they had created from suffering. Theron's first thought had been to ignore the begging, perhaps revel in it before refusing and tearing the bloated system he so despised to the ground. But that would be stupid. "But that would be stupid. The Triumvirate has its uses, for now." Revan continued walking towards the location of the peace treaty.

"What do you mean, my Emperor?" one of the nearby Knights asked.

"There are worse things in this galaxy than a corrupt system, Griffus. Than even the Jedi," Revan replied, still walking. "And the Triumvirate may be indispensable as a barrier until I have a foolproof strategy to overcome said evil." Revan's boots clacked against the tile within the Senate hallways.

"But this could be a trap, my Lord," Frius said again. His voice burned with desire for battle.

Revan began to reply, but the third member of his guard laughed once. "I think," she said, "the Lord expects that."

Revan laughed once. "Indeed Knight Jana." Theron grinned behind his mask. "But it shows strength, that we are better, if we are willing to entertain the notion they believe in peace. A betrayal will only cause more to flock to our banner."

"If we survive," Jana pointed out. Revan laughed and nodded his head in agreement. "Boss, you're being careful, right? Anyone can get lucky. I don't want some two bit padawan with a yellow lightsaber doing you in."

Theron smiled and shook his head. "I am well aware of the risks. Marching into the center of my enemies' nest of lies and power is... bold, I suppose," he said. He clasped his hands behind his back as he walked. The air conditioning in the hall began to pick up, and Revan used his abilities to aid his guards. "But fortune favors the bold, eh?"

"Or it kills them," Griffus deadpanned. Revan laughed again. The Imperial Knights were much more fun to be around than their Sith counterparts.

The group stopped with Revan as they neared the room in which the treaty would be signed. "Of course it's here," the Sith Lord grumbled, quieter than his underlings could hear. It was the same room, deep within the Senate Chambers, where he and his crew had been briefed by the former Triumvirs what felt like a lifetime ago. He raised his hand to the door control and the durasteel plate slid open. "Gentlemen." Revan's eyes glanced over the faces of all present. His eyes narrowed behind his mask as his gaze fell on one woman's face. The Grandmaster of the Jedi noted Theron's response – that there was one really – to the woman he was staring at."Ladies..."

The woman shook her head and her hair hung like a curtain before her eyes. She looked... oddly familiar to Revan. He laughed and clapped his hands as it hit him. "Ana! Wow, I couldn't recognize you with the hunched shoulders and terrible hair!" he shouted, drawing light laughter from his retinue. He thought he heard Jana begin to call the broken woman before them a stupid _Schutta_. Revan immediately raised his hand, cutting off Jana halfway through her first syllable. "Oof, that whole smelly nature kissed look the Jedi go for doesn't really cut it for you, does it? Not like the together, supermodel look I'm used to."

The woman shook with rage, but didn't respond. "Enough, Revan," the Chancellor, an angry Bothan woman, said. Obviously, their bet that Ana would unbalance Theron had backfired miserably. "We came here to discuss peace, not trade barbs."

"I sincerely doubt that," Frius stated. He stood with his hands on his hips, close to his saber, always wavering just within reach of the weapon. It made the new Grandmaster and Grand Moff nervous, along with their bodyguards.

"Now now, no need to threaten just yet, Frius," Revan placated. His saber hung from his hip, far from the hands that he placed on the blue skinned Chiss' shoulders. Revan turned his gaze back towards the Triumvirs. "Unfortunately, my friend and I seem to be in agreement. You aren't here for peace, are you?"

The heads of the Triumviracy stood like statues, none willing to answer. "Really? That's the best you can all do? And I thought you were the best politicians in the galaxy... since I killed your predecessors, of course," Revan laughed. He took his hands from Frius' shoulders. "Peace will be like this. To me the Moffs will hand all power over the Empire to which they wrongfully cling. Half of Coruscant – from the Palace eastward – will become part of my Empire. Any who cling to the Moffdom will be given one chance to return to the fold... after that, they will be traitors, subject to my authority. I have other conditions, ones I will be glad to go over should you decide not to pop the poorly hidden ambush within this room, that we can talk about as we put the treaty in writing. If not... the Triumvirate will fall by my hand. Choose..."

In response, twenty-eight Jedi erupted from the shadows to kill Revan. "Poor choice," Revan said as he ignited his lightsaber.

Fifteen of the Jedi rushed towards the Sith Lord, including the Grandmaster. Revan laughed at how they underestimated him and crossed blades with his small army of enemies. Revan's armor allowed him to ignore the influx of frost that flew from Frius' clawed hand. Revan had fostered those abilities – the Sith was the greatest Force Cryokinetic, perhaps the only one, that Revan had ever seen. The Jedi were not so lucky, with shards of ice slashing through exposed skin. Frius' five, closest to the blizzard fell easily.

Jana and Griffus' opponents quickly fell to the twins' incredible joint attack. Jana had great skill with a lightsaber, but with the Force she was an artist. She could craft illusions within the minds of her enemies, making them question everything. This left them wide open to the attacks of her brother, a duelist second only to Revan himself and Revan's own apprentice.

Yes, the three of Revan's bodyguards were intense warriors with powerful abilities and unbreakable wills. Each of them would be formidable opponents, even to the Dark Lord himself. None, even together could defeat him, of course, but there was no reason to argue that point. The three were undyingly loyal to their master, each tied to him through Force bonds crafted through time spent together as friends. Master and Apprentices.

As the last of Revan's opponents fell to the ground, none fatally wounded, he shook his head and sighed. "I'm very disappointed in you," he said, still shaking his head. He deactivated his lightsaber and looked down at the Grandmaster – a Korun male – and Ana next to him. Revan clapped his hands again and two small camera droids appeared out of thin air. The uninjured Moff and Chancellor's eyes widened. "But this was expected. So I televised the event." Revan grabbed one of the cameras and dragged it towards his mask. "Marien, sorry it's taking so long. See you soon." With that, Revan, his droids, and his bodyguards disappeared in a flash of white light to a location in Kaas City half a galaxy away.

SWSWSWSWSW

"Wake up! Wake up, dammit!" a woman's voice shouted. Leon grunted and shut his eyes harder, trying to stave off the painful light of the waking world. He felt a fist collide with his side and he grunted. "Wake the _kark_ up!"

"What is it, Tarav-" Leon's eyes drifted open and the memories of the past day rushed back to him. He took a deep breath and sighed it out. "Right... Where are we?"

Erea shook her head and groaned. "Okay, right now we're squatting in an apartment in the midlevels... of Coruscant."

Leon stared at Erea, dumbfounded. "H-how did we cross the galaxy?"

"We drifted into the Triumvirate Fleet's Hyperspace radius. They dragged us with them when they fled the Taris system," Erea explained. She walked over to Leon, who noticed he was shirtless, and unwrapped a bandage. "You're all healed up. The escape pod wasn't designed for free floating light speed, so it malfunctioned and plummeted down here as soon as we entered orbit. Crash webbing was the only thing that saved us. You were already pretty injured, but the crash really banged you up. You were almost dead. Barely got us to this empty apartment complex before the Triumvirates found the pod."

Leon cursed to himself. "So the planet's on lockdown," he said. "Dammit..." Leon looked up at Erea. "Good job saving me. I'm Leon."

Naga smiled. "Thanks for the name."

Leon grinned and shrugged. "Eh, you saved me twice. I think I can trust you," he responded. He unwrapped one of the bandages on his arm. He had no shirt on. "Now, where's my uniform?" Leon looked up at Erea and frowned. "Where's _your_ uniform?"

Erea scoffed and picked up Leon's undersuit from the ground. "Did you really think I'd let either of us run around in Sith battle armor?" she asked, rolling her eyes and looking at Leon. "I got us some normal clothes so we can blend in."

"How do you know my si-" Leon shook his head. As he unwrapped another bacta-soaked bandage on his left forearm, he said, "Right, never mind." Leon shot up, tossing around violently. "Where is it?! Dammit, do we still have it?!"

"What?" Erea asked. She dropped the undersuit and looked around.

"The drive. It contains all the information from the _Fel_ 's systems, and I was ordered to get it back to the Empire. Whatever's on it... it's what the Trirals were after," Leon shouted, still burrowing around. He jumped off the bed – he was not completely indecent, thankfully – and began rummaging around on the ground. "I... I need to get it back! I need to... kill whoever took it."

"Whoa, calm down," Erea said. She grabbed Leon's shoulder and pulled him up from the ground to face her. "You didn't have a drive on you when we got here. If you had one, it must have fallen out of your armor."

"Dammit!" Leon screamed. He slammed his fist into the wall, shattering the plaster and causing Erea to flinch.

"I'm sorry," Erea hissed.

Leon groaned. "I know, I'm just... Sorry," Leon said finally. Erea tossed him clothes, and he caught the crumpled ball of cloth. Leon zipped himself into his undersuit again, comforted – at least a little – by the hum of the magnetic field around him. As he pulled on the gray cargo pants with red and white stripes running vertically down the outer side of either pant leg, he continued to speak. "The CO of my unit, he ordered me to hold onto it until I got it back to the Empire. I won't take failing him." Leon pulled a tan-white button up over his shoulders and a black vest left open above that. He tucked the pants into a pair of black boots on the floor.

"I heard only good things about Captain Tarava," Erea said placatingly. She was wearing a brown bantha-leather jacket over a loose white shirt with the black silhouette of a nexu on it. Brown pants and boots. "He was a good soldier."

Leon sat down on the bed again and shook his head. "He was a good man."

The room was quiet for some time. Finally, Leon stood up with a grunt. "Well, we need a plan to get off this rock. A ship, credits... the drive. _Kriff_ ,"

"We've got our work cut out for us, I agree," Erea replied. She tossed the deactivated vibrosword to Leon and strapped twin blasters to her legs. Leon picked up the lightsaber and clipped it to his belt – it wasn't built to maglock like most other weapons. He probably wouldn't get a chance to use it, after all he'd probably hurt himself more than he'd hurt any possible opponent. "But you're special forces – I think we can manage, right?"

Leon smiled and began to respond, but froze as he heard a scream. "Are there other people living here?" he asked, his vibrosword at the ready.

Erea nodded. "The complex is full of families, human and alien. Something must be happening!"

Leon nodded and rushed out of the door, freezing in disgust at the sight before him. Two sapients – Leon couldn't identify what species – were standing over a pair of Duros, waving their blasters threateningly at the prone blue aliens. The attackers had... skin, somewhere, but it was all concealed by threatening and painful looking gray spikes that curved out from every inch of visible flesh. The location of where the eyes should have been was just as covered in the spines as the arms, face, chest and so on. "Vongspores..." Leon gasped to himself.

Darth Krayt, and indeed many others, in the past two centuries had fallen victim to Vong spores. Krayt's Empire had even spread them throughout the Republic's attempted reconstructionist worlds, causing countless settlers to sprout the painful spines and suffer through agonizing pain. Republic and Jedi collapsed for a while after that. Triumvirate supposedly cured everyone affected when it came into being. This... said otherwise. "What the _kark_ are you doing!?" Leon snapped at the Vong-affected criminals.

The twisted psychos glanced up at Leon and Erea, then back at the Duros. "You letting new people in here without paying the tithe!?" one of the monsters asked. A blaster bolt flew from its hands, killing one of the Duros. The other Duros clutched at its fallen kin, screaming. "You don't cross the Red Vong and live, _stoopa_!"

As one of the Red Vong raised their blaster again, Leon roared and rushed forward. His vibrosword slashed through the wrist of the self-mutilative gang member. The Red Vong member screeched angrily, and a mass of Vong Spore tendrils rushed out of the gaping wound. "This isn't how Vong Spore is supposed to work!" Leon screamed as the tendrils hardened into a blade and slashed at him. He blocked the incoming attack with his vibrosword and glanced over his shoulder at Erea, who was dodging the other Vong's blaster fire. "What the _kriff_ is going on here!?"

"Damned if I know!" Erea replied as she fired another blast, uselessly, into the Vong's chest. "We're not going to last long if we don't figure this out, though."

"Agreed," Leon replied. He deflected another Vong-blade blow, and gasped in surprise as the tendrils of Vong Spore roped around the weapon. The cortosis weave blade was torn out of Leon's hands and clattered uselessly against the wall. " _Kriff..._ Could use some help!"

"Yeah, so could I!" Erea replied. Leon didn't look back, but from the tone of her voice it was clear that this fight was not looking good for them. Leon growled. He couldn't just die now. He moved past the next attack of the Red Vong member and grabbed the gangster by the throat. Moments later, the twisted sapient crashed into the wall, the spines on his skin sticking between the durasteel slabs. Barely, of course.

The Red Vong, incensed and frothing at the mouth now, screamed and rushed towards Leon, bladed arm swinging violently. Leon struggled to weave around the blows, but each one rushed towards him faster and faster. Leon could only barely stay alive. He hoped to the Force for something to save him. And something did. Leon was incredibly surprised as the Red Vong's head was suddenly separated from his shoulders. "Damn cultists," a woman's voice came. Leon looked at a Chiss woman slightly shorter than he with deep black hair that rested short on her face. Her red eyes were deep with annoyance. She walked past Leon, a vibrosword in her hand. The blade arced through the neck of the other Red Vong, and his head also rolled across the ground. The woman smiled at Erea for a moment, then turned back to Leon. "Now, where was -"

The Chiss woman froze. She blinked and breathed out. She struggled for breath, as if she was surprised. "Y-you..."

"Yes, miss..?" Lucius began. Erea stood silent.

The woman's mouth shut. "You just look like someone I used to know," the Chiss said. She shook her head and sighed. "Um... Hi. I'm Marien. Are you related to Theron Fel?"


	6. Tracking the Enemy

Leon stared at the Chiss woman with eyes full of conflicting feelings. She had saved them, and she seemed to have some unspoken bond with Theron Fel from before he became Revan, but she was an unknown. Erea had flat out advocated against informing Marien about their mission at all, claiming that it was a danger to give the information to one they did not know. Logically, Leon knew that the Commander was correct. Marien was from Coruscant and had suddenly barged into their mission, almost as if she had been sent. Erea thought the woman had been sent by the Triumvirate SAS.

Contrary to what Commander Naga believed, Leon wasn't so sure that Marien's loyalties lay with the Triumviracy. Whenever he tried to explain it to Erea, why he felt compelled to trusted the Chiss woman, he could only try and explain it away with "a gut feeling." He knew that Marien, whoever else she may have been, was the key to getting the drive back and booking it off planet. How, though, Leon had no idea.

"I'm going to ask you again," Marien began as she leaned against the wall of the apartment Leon and Erea were squatting in, "are you related to Theron Fel?"

Leon smiled. "I'm flattered, really. That'd be an honor in the Empire. Unfortunately, no. Gray eyes and dark hair aren't too uncommon on humans."

Marien shook her head. "It's not just that – you carry yourself like he did, at least before he was Revan."

"Handsome and skillful?" Leon asked.

"I was going to say pigheaded and stupid, based on you," Erea half-joked. Leon glared unamusedly at her.

Marien chuckled dryly. "A bit of both, actually," she pointed out. She pushed off from the wall. "The lightsaber at your hip didn't help things, either. If I didn't know he was dead, I'd say you could be him. But..." Marien looked sadly at the ground.

The room was quiet for a while. Finally: "How did you know Revan?" Erea asked. She was looking at Marien with slightly less distrust. Still a lot, though. "It sounds as if you think you were close."

Marien snarled at the human woman. "I'm sorry for my friend. She thinks she's knows everything," Leon explained, half joking. He walked over towards Marien and shot Erea a glare that commanded she stop acting like that. It didn't seem to help. "How did you know him?"

Marien smiled nervously up at Leon. "He... He came down to the midlevels a lot. You see, I... am pretty good at getting in and out of places unnoticed. It's natural for me, really. One day I was hired to steal information from one group of thugs and get it to another. Theron ended up killing all of them while I watched. After that, he... Theron kind of just stumbled onto me.

"No one ever sees me, not when I don't want them to. But he did, and I _really_ didn't want someone who simultaneously took out four of the ten most dangerous bounty hunters in the system finding me. He didn't kill me, as you can see. I don't understand how, but I suddenly became his tipster. Snitch, if you will. I told him about gang wars that were going to erupt, nasty things going on. He said he wanted to work out aggression constructively. I became his friend, his only one then. He was like, seventeen. Parents had just died, big news on the holonet, cause they were still 'searching' for who did it then. I think he needed a friend his age. I was about fourteen, just reached maturity. So we were friends."

"Is that all?" Erea asked. Leon saw her hand was clenched tight.

"Yes. Last time I saw him, was Treaty Day, two, three years ago. He said he was taking out the Red Vong... Jedi swarmed the place I told him to go a few days later. Whatever he did, obviously it didn't fix things," Marien explained. She punched the wall lightly. "Then he went and got himself killed by that bitch Jedi."

"Bitch?" Erea asked.

"The Triral who killed him. Seems as good a name as any," Leon noted.

"I would go with skilled, personally. Respecting an enemy and all that," Erea pointed out. Marien and Leon ignored her.

Leon frowned and clicked his tongue. "Marien?" he asked. The Chiss looked at him. "How did you find us?"

Marien frowned sheepishly. "Accidentally, actually. I've been following Red Vong around the sector for a few years now, trying to find their hide out. When you guys loudly arrived last night, the cultists I was following made a beeline for the crash site, shrieking and all sorts of _kriff_ about how their leader wanted what came down. You two were already gone when I got there. I stayed all night; Vong picked the place clean long before Corsec got there. From there, I just wandered, looking for new Red Vong to chase down. After that, you two made enough noise that it was easy."

Leon looked over at Erea. "So it was the Red Vong that took it," he said.

"Took what?" Marien asked.

Erea glanced past Leon and towards the Chiss woman. "Do you have any clue about where the Red Vong make base? Or if they have a secondary camp?" she asked. She stood up from the ratty, broken chair and walked up to Marien so that the three of them stood in a tight circle. "It's paramount we find what they stole."

Marien scoffed. "Do you think we're friends or something?" she asked mockingly.

"Excuse me?" Erea asked angrily. She took a deep breath. "Maybe we got off on the wrong foot. I'm sorry. Please help us."

The Chiss shook her head. "I helped Theron because we were friends."

"But you want to take down the Red Vong, right?" Leon asked. He was confused.

"I was hired to do that. Sure, I helped Theron find out about what was going on down here. We were friends, and he'd help me out too. Friendship takes time, and you two are weird strangers. Mean strangers in her case. And, sure, I'd love if the Vong disintegrated. I'll do what's 'right,' of course, but I know that you two can get me something infinitely valuable," Marien explained. She laced her fingers behind her head and sighed contentedly.

"And I thought you and your episodes were bad enough," Erea said under her breath. Leon glanced at her indignantly. To Marien: "What the _kark_ do you want?"

"I'd think that was obvious, Miss Perfect," Marien snapped. "Theron was my friend, I'm not happy about his death. You're taking me off planet with you, back to the Empire."

"No. We don't even have a way to get two people off planet!" Erea hissed. She looked at Leon. "Back me up here."

Leon bit his lip for a second. "Sure, I think it's a good idea," he stated. Erea and Marien stared at him incredulously. "You're the only way we'll find the drive the Vong stole, and you seem like good travel company. More fun than the Commander, that's for sure."

"Hey!"

"I'm... mostly kidding," Leon said with a wave of his hand. "But yeah, you can come along." Leon smiled at Marien. The Chiss smiled back, actually gracious for this opportunity.

"Um... thanks," she whispered nervously. Her blue cheeks tinged slightly violet. She shook her head. "But, I'm going to need this to be official."

Leon shrugged and held out his hand. "I guess we should introduce ourselves. My friends call me Leon. I'm... well, I suppose now I'm the commanding officer of the Sith Special Forces," the human said. "Grumpy over there's Erea Naga. Commander, bodyguard, important person."

The Chiss woman smiled at each in turn, though the smile she shot Leon was less forced. She clasped Leon's hand. "You can call me Mari." She looked past Leon at Erea. "You can call me Marien."

"Charmed, I'm sure," Erea drawled sarcastically.

Leon clapped, oblivious to the mood in the room. "Let's get to it!"

SWSWSWSWSW

Triumvirate Dead Drop C722K-4FY60

Location: _Redacted_

Time BRD: _Redacted_

Partially _Redacted_ Transcript of Conversation

Between Revan and Sith Scientist _Redacted_

Topic: _Redacted_

 _Redacted:_ "... [no] sense. None at all."

Revan: "I am well aware, Doctor. When I last saw someone like this, the _Redacted_ behaved completely differently. Defensively it was useless, offensively even more so. A tool for self-mutilation or torture, but now the _Redacted_ is so different. As if it's being changed, shaped."

 _Redacted_ : "But, my Lord, the _Redacted_ are all gone. Most left the galaxy, and the ones that did not..."

Revan: Sight "You do not need to tell me about the Triumvirate's hidden sins, _Redacted_. However, -di (static interference) was the only one besides the _Redacted_ themselves that understood the _Redacted_ on such an intricate level. No, the only possible answer is that some _Redacted_ survived the Triumvirate's campaign. The one that is left is driven only by anger, desire for retribution."

 _Redacted_ : "Sounds like a Sith. He could be an ally."

Revan: " _NO!_ Whoever this is, they are no longer driven by any passion remotely redeemable. No Sith that serves me will be driven by such a dangerous outlook. No being who serves me, who served the Empire, will behave in such a way. This _Redacted_ , once I learn where he or she is... we will kill them. Any who would threaten innocent lives in such a way deserves only my rage." Revan pauses for some time, moves closer to _Redacted_. "He could have been an ally, especially with such a deep hatred for the Triumvirates. Instead this _Redacted_ set loose their skills upon the innocent, those who had no involvement in what occurred. Who were incapable of defending those who did these things. Perhaps even hated the Triumvirate just as much. He kills his allies Doctor _Redacted_. Such a person does not deserve to survive."

Conversation continues on different topics.

Beamed to Triumvirate High Command, Coruscant

Expect more data in three days

Time elapsed since last sent message...

1.7 standard years

SWSWSWSWSW

"The Red Vong field base, for lack of a better term, is somewhere in this sector over here," Mari said, placing her finger on the spherical map of Coruscant. The hologram buzzed for a fraction of a second, then _pinged_ and zoomed in. A User Interface popped up, a drop down menu for choosing from the thousands of levels that made up the Coruscanti ecumenopolis. One of Mari's fingers dragged downward until the cursor settled on 1313. "From the Old – and _kriff_ do I mean old – Marketplace Square to Hoth Parkway, and anywhere between 6192nd and 6225th."

"That still gives us almost... 100 square blocks to cover," Erea pointedly noted. She glared at the blue holo-map representation of 1313-6.2.

"Do you know how hard it is to narrow down the location of a single building within a quarter of the galactic city?" Mari asked. She moved around the table until she stood next to the Commander. "Very. Very. Difficult."

Erea shut her eyes and stifled a nasty comment. "Oh, I'm sure it is," she replied. She opened her eyes and looked over at Mari sarcastically. "You know, you should be a bounty hunter, you're so good at it!"

Mari rolled her eyes and shook her head. As she was about to retort, Leon cut her off. "Okay, honestly, I don't know what the _kriff_ it is that is going on right here. This is the lady who begged me to not kill a Jedi, and she's acting like a _schutta_ , so forgive me if I'm a bit confused by how you're acting, Erea," Leon said, drawing both women's attention. "But it's obvious you have an idea."

"It is?" Mari asked. She shook her head. "It is. So get on with it."

Erea looked at Leon with a frown. She raised her hand to the map. "Do you have any information about the Red Vong you've seen in this area? Data you've recorded?"

Mari sighed and nodded. "Yeah, just a sec," she said. She leaned towards the holopad projecting the map and brought up a file. Arrows popped up across the surface of the hologram, beginning and converging at different points. A majority exited and entered a single building. Mari pointed. "So that's where they are."

Erea made a noise that sounded partway between a scoff and laugh. Leon noticed her eyes were closed. "Not quite," she said, opening her eyes. Her finger traced across the surface of the hologram for a moment until arriving at a building three blocks away from the most busy point, where no Vong ever appeared.

"There's no one there," Mari said, worried she had just gotten in bed with morons.

"But it's not stupid!" Leon said as the concept dawned on him. He laughed and gestured at the map. "Look! There are Red Vong markers that cover almost every block of the map. The most busy point? It's a smokescreen."

Mari stared, jaw slightly open, the cogs in her brain winding as she began to understand as well. "That's the only place where no Vong showed up within a two block radius. They've been avoiding it."

"To try and prevent anyone from finding an entrance to their secondary – or primary, if we're lucky – base," Erea finished. She uncrossed her arm and deactivated the map. "Which only leaves one other important question."

"How do we get there before the Trirals figure it out," Leon agreed. He glanced over at Mari. "They obviously know the Vong picked the crash site clean. And I'm willing to bet they know where the cult's headquarters is already."

Marien grinned toothily. "Well, it's a good thing I have a bead on a shipment of stolen speeders. And I bet my employer would rather pay me one of those than the creds he promised."

Leon and Erea looked at each other. Leon looked back at Mari. "Finally, some good news."

SWSWSWSWSW

Grand Admiral Taas stood in his office, staring out of the window. Construction droids scurried about stories below, fixing the still smoking damage left by the Sith escape pod. Around that, life seemed to scurry around at a speed that would be unheard of virtually anywhere else in the galaxy, even Kaas City. Somewhere out there was the data for which he had attacked the _Jagged Fel_.

Van's mind flashed back. "He escaped!" the Jedi screamed. He struggled against the droids that were trying, and failing, to shove him in a bacta tank. The Jedi's blue eyes contorted in rage and pain; some of the blonde hair on his scalp was melted into his skin. He screamed again. "They have it! They have the data! I'm going to kill him!"

Van shook his head and turned back to his desk slowly, struggling as he shifted his weight from his left leg to his cane and back. He winced in pain as his right foot slid against the floor. "I wish you would sit more," woman said as Van turned to the holocommunicator. The blue hologram flickered as an insect passed through it.

"Well, if our best friend hadn't tried to kill me, I wouldn't be in this position," Van replied as he hobbled over towards the chair. He sat down and looked at the woman's hologram, then down at the digital picture frame displaying an image of that time so long ago. Theron, for he was actually Theron then, was in the center grinning in one of the few times Van had actually seen him happy. Ana was next to him on the left, the two of them nervously dodging their mutual attraction. Rhen and Van were on either end. Every member of the group had their arms wrapped around each others' shoulders, and everyone was dressed in those stupid gala outfits that Horn had made them wear.

"That was a good night, huh?" Ana asked. Van smiled and made a laughing noise with his breath, somewhere akin to a good natured scoff. "Yeah, maybe not for you. Didn't a... damn, was it a Saurian trying to get frisky with you?"

Van laughed boisterously at the memory. "It was a Trandoshan," he said. Van groaned and grimaced. "She was scary."

Ana laughed for a moment along with Van, but the two quickly began to wind down. The memories hurt just as much as they gave feelings of joy. "You didn't call because you wanted to relive... those memories. What is it?"

Ana sighed and nodded. "You're right, I do have news. I'm on the trail of anything that was in the escape pod that crashed last night. It was picked clean by some cult in the midlevels, witness says they're the Red Vong. Unfortunately, I'm not the only one that knows this. Imperial presence on the planet has just risen, and they're on the trail of the data as well."

Van shook his head. "Dammit. Well, I'll have Corsec sent to the Red Vong's headquarters. I'm sure that they already have an idea of where it is. It'll take almost a day to mobilize enough men for it to be a safe op, though."

"I hope that's enough, Van. Ana Gann, out."

SWSWSWSWSW

Leon fidgeted uncomfortably outside the speeder body shop, Bek's. Mari had gone in alone, claiming her connect would be grumpy and unsteady should strangers be involved. Instead of a grumpy criminal, Leon was stuck with a slightly less grumpy Erea Naga. The red head glared out into the smoky gloom of the Coruscanti midlevels, a scowl on her features as she leaned against the rusted railing. Leon leaned with his back against the railing and stared up at the dim moonlight that snaked its way downward, bouncing along the countless mirrored surfaces of the windows above. The two were silent for a while.

"You really don't like Mari, do you?" Leon asked finally without taking his eyes from the dome of the false sky.

Erea turned towards her gaze to her compatriot, then back into the distance. "What of it?"

"I know I've only known you for one day, but everything in my gut says this is out of character for you," Leon replied. He turned around and placed his hands on the rail. His gaze rested on Erea. "You made me save an enemy up there, and now you don't want to trust this woman at all?"

"I have my reasons, Leon," Erea replied quietly. She looked at him again, but her gaze averted his intense gaze. "She's dangerous."

"That's not the feeling I'm getting from her, Erea," Leon said. He leaned further onto the railing, elbows on the metal. He ran one hand through his hair. It had been four months since his last military-mandated haircut, so his one time crew cut had become a close cut, with some hair straying into his vision. His mouth clacked as it opened. "She's a friend."

Erea looked back to him. "I hope so, Leon. For -"

Leon held his hand up. "Do you hear..." he looked into the distance then grabbed Erea's arm and ran towards Bek's door. "Sirens from around the corner. I've heard a dozen blaster shots and no sirens."

"Then they're here for us," Erea agreed. She ran next to him.

"Mari, time to go. Tell me you got a speeder," Leon said as he neared the negotiation in the back of the garage.

"Who are these people?" the owner asked, a dark skinned human. "I said come alone!"

"Dammit, I don't have time for this," Leon growled. He walked up to the man and landed an elbow to his face. Erea's blasters stunned the surprised bodyguards into submission. To Mari: "Don't bother leaving whatever info it was he wanted. We're taking one of the speeders, and we don't need any more Trirals on our tail."

As if in response, a blaster bolt echoed through the front door, followed by a cop's voice. "Surrender yourselves, Sith. We don't want any bloodshed tonight!"

Leon grabbed the activator for a speeder from Bek's table. He noticed Bek starting to get up, and slammed his foot into the man's gut. Leon grimaced. "Sorry... Time to go," he said as he ran off. Erea and Mari both took off after him, all three sprinting for their lives.

Later, Corsec would enter the building with a tactical team. The Corsec officers were searching for soldiers of the Sith Empire and any abetting them. They would instead find evidence on a speeder and swoop boosting circle that had been beaten down like they were kids fighting a rancor. The perpetrators, two humans and a Chiss, were already gone when Corsec made their way in.


	7. Kicking the Hornet's Nest

"I'm surprised the Red Vong were smart enough to think of this," Leon stated as the group stood outside of the building where the cult made their home. "Using buildings to access the lower levels and make their way around the entire sector. They can pop up anywhere, anytime."

"Well, their leader is running one of the most efficient gangs on the planet, so I'm not too surprised," Mari replied. She tapped her foot impatiently against the ground. "Should we go over the plan again?"

"There's a plan?" Leon asked, half-joking. "I thought I would just go in there and kill them all. I'm pretty good at that plan, honestly."

Erea shook her head. Mari did the same, but still chuckled lightly. "Fine, since we apparently need to," Erea said exasperatedly. "You and Leon are better with vibroswords than I am, and from what you told us, those are the only effective means of killing these things. You two will go in, _quietly_ -" she glared at Leon, who shrugged. "- and try to find any information on where the Vong's headquarters is. Or, if this _is_ the headquarters, you two will try to find the drive. Comms contact every quarter hour, radio silence otherwise."

"Unless there's an emergency," Mari pointed out.

"Yes... Excuse us for a moment," Erea said. She motioned for Leon to move aside with her. "Are you sure this is a good idea? Going in alone with her?"

" _Kark_ , Erea, we already went over this. You trust me, right?" Leon asked. He waited until Erea begrudgingly nodded. "Well, I trust her. Transitive property says you should trust her, too."

"This isn't math. People are... traitorous," Erea noted sadly. Her eyes hardened. "Lord Revan's past can teach us that well."

Leon was quiet as he considered that. "He trusted her."

"He trusted the Triumvirate as well."

Leon shook his head and walked towards Mari. "What was that about?"

"It's – nothing," Leon replied with a sigh. He reached down to grab his vibrosword and brought the cylinder up. He froze as he noticed he had grabbed the lightsaber. His thumb wavered over the activator, like the weapon was begging he ignite the brilliant blade. Unleash its power. Instead, he replaced it with his vibrosword, hand shaking nervously. As the vibrosword sprang out of its container he turned to Mari. "Let's get going."

SWSWSWSWSW

"And you're sure about this?" Van asked the blue form of Ana Gann. His back was to the hologram, and he was staring out at the planet below. "The Imperials arrived at the secondary site?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Ana replied, shaking her head. He looked back suddenly, as if she heard a threat. Ana shrugged and turned back to the half-listening Admiral. His reflection in the glass was somber, broken as it had been for almost two years, now. "The entered about ten minutes ago. Where are you on securing men for an assault on the main base?"

"Hm? Oh, we're about twelve hours out," the Admiral replied without turning. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but it caught in his throat.

"Twelve hours out? Damn. They could get to the main base by then," Ana replied. She rubbed her palm against her forehead and groaned.

"Yes, well, greasing the wheels of bureaucracy takes an impressive amount of time, Ana," Van replied. He turned to the hologram. "Do you ever wonder?"

"What, Van?" Ana asked. She looked down and crossed her arms, sighing. "Do I ever wonder about what?"

"You know what, Ana." The Admiral groaned as he walked towards his desk as quickly as he could hobble. He stared at the woman with knowing, yet disapproving eyes.

"You know that I do, Van. If Rhen were alive, I bet he would too," Ana replied, sighing. "But honestly, that's a terrible what if to ponder. What if we betrayed, instead of him, everything we believe in? What, you are the admiral of the Empire, drinking buddies with Revan on the weekend? What? I'm some cliché Sith Empress? Rhen... No, that would never have happened. It's not even a what if, because it couldn't have happened. The Triumvirate isn't perfect, and that's something we've seen even more since... what we did. But you and I – _kriff,_ even Rhen, and he's dead – believe in the Triumvirate nonetheless. So yes, Van Taas, I have wondered, more than you, what would have become of us if we'd helped him kill the Grandmaster or my father. But every time I come to the conclusion this is the only way that this would have ever turned out."

"I know," Van placated, sadness tinging his voice. He coughed softly, filling the pregnant void between them. "I wonder if this is how your father and Horn spoke, wondering about 'what if' all while knowing they did the right thing, the only thing."

"We're not them."

"We're not _not_ them," Van retorted. Ana could only be silent in response. Finally: "I'll try to speed things up with military action, you keep an eye on the Imperials. If you need anything, just call. Check in soon."

"Yessir," Ana replied bleakly, closing the channel.

SWSWSWSWSW

Leon gripped his sword as tightly as he and Mari entered the Red Vong's field base, two guards' corpses twitching on the ground separated from their heads. The tendrils of the Vong Spore that grew uncontrollably throughout their bodies writhed against the ground as if searching for a new body to infect, to break. Leon was disgusted on a primal level by the tentacles that squirmed and swarmed from the corpses as if sentient. "What is wrong with these things?" Leon asked, disgusted.

"The million cred question. Literally. Some gangs and companies are willing to pay that to find out," Mari responded. She shrugged. "Nowhere near the worth of getting off Coruscant, though."

"Would anything be worth staying in the Triumviracy?" Leon joked.

"Good point," Mari replied with a smile. She glanced around a corner. "Clear." Leon nodded and ran to the other side of the hall, guarded by another corner. "So... what's going on with you and frigid _schutta_ out there?"

"Who? Erea?" Leon asked. He chuckled softly and crept to the next doorway. He looked inside. "Clear. She's not... okay, she's frigid with you. She does seem to despise you, for some reason, and she made me leave a _kriffing_ Jedi alive."

"Yeah, you mentioned that before," Mari responded. She moved across the hallway and Leon ducked to the other side of the door she was beside. He nodded and opened the door. "Not clear!" Blaster fire erupted from the other side of the doorway, hissing and buzzing against the durasteel.

Leon scoffed. "You don't say," he said sarcastically. He drew a grenade from his belt and punched the activator. "One. Two... Fire in the hole." He tossed the grenade along the ground, turning around the corner for only the briefest moment. Blaster fire filled the air around him, but not killing him. He was able to curl back around the corner without a single blaster burn on him. Half a second later, the bio-deregulator shrieked to life. The cells of the Red Vong boiled as the vicious, artificial poison began to force a breakdown of the cellular makeup. Even the Vong Spore that had infected their makeup screamed in pain and was torn apart.

"Good job not using a thermal detonator. Nice to see you're not half as bad in a fight as you looked when I found you," Mari said as the smoke dissipated. She entered the room and began rifling about, searching for an Imperial drive.

"I was having an off day," Leon retorted. "I had just killed an entire ship of invading marines and went toe to toe with a Jedi. I was playing off injured reserved, okay?"

"Fine. Make excuses," Mari said. She snapped a kick to the head of one of the Vong, and its embrittled head clanged against the wall, exploding into dust. She roared quietly and pumped her fists in the air like she'd scored the winning goal in Huttball.

"Are you done?" Leon asked, false irritation in his voice as he watched the entertaining scene before him. Mari stopped and rolled her eyes. Leon smiled and shook his head, then became serious. "We need to check the next few rooms. The drive isn't in here, and these goons don't have any of the relevant data regarding the main base."

"Oh, business first?" Mari asked, causing Leon to laugh to himself and his cheeks to tinge red.

"Ha ha. Let's move," Leon said, brushing the moment off. He rifled through the Vongs' pockets one more time before exiting the room.

The two were quiet for a moment, neither sure of what to say. Eventually, it was Mari that spoke first. "So where were we? You were about to tell me about the Jedi she made you keep alive, right?" she inquired.

"Ah. Yeah, some _kriffing_ crazy guy. I may have brutally murdered everyone he invaded the ship with during a fit of violent rage. He took it upon himself to try and torture me to death. At least I think that's what he would have wanted," Leon said. "Hmm. Glad that didn't happen."

"You and me both," Mari replied as she glanced around a corner. "Who would I have... coerced to get me off planet then? The Commander?"

"Yeah. Given how she feels about you, you'd have better chances with a rock," Leon bantered back, smiling as he turned his head around the next corner. He cursed to himself. " _Kriff_. We don't have enough time for this! The Trirals are probably already on their way to the Vong's HQ."

"Do you have a different plan than searching room by room?" Mari asked.

"Honestly, I'm looking at you for that one. Do you have any idea where a data library would be here?" Leon asked, running past a hallway. "You're the local."

"N – wait. I might have an idea," Mari said, grinning wildly. She grabbed Leon's shoulder. "Follow me."

SWSWSWSWSW

2 years after assassination of Jagged and Kaera Fel

Seventeen year old Theron Fel trembled nervously as he cut open the wiring hatch for the building's subterminal node. He glanced up at the control screen every few moments as he played with the wires. "Hope what I read about this faulty wiring is true," he mumbled to himself as he took out an electrical knife and snipped a few of the rubber-encased cords. He flicked the knife back into its handle and placed it carefully into his pocket. Theron took a few deep breaths to steady himself, trying to forget the painfully large amount of voltage that would run through his body if he did this wrong. Then he began to go to work. He switched a few of the wires, overloading security and different subroutines until he had almost cannibalized the interior of the node.

Once he was done, Theron glanced up at the node again and smiled proudly. The screen was blinking; he had bypassed the security system and directly accessed the main computer system through the building's old wiring, which had failed to be updated since at least during the Old Republic. With a few flicks through menus on the touch screen, Theron finally got to the power subroutine. "Now, this will tell me where those goons are hiding out..."

A big meeting was going down, or so Theron had heard. He'd been beating up goons on the midlevels for a few weeks now, ever since his friend's grandfather had been killed down there. Theron couldn't let that go unpunished, and what better way than to deal a major blow to the criminal empires in the midlevels. Interrogation suggested that the top enforcers – bounty hunters – on the planet for a few of the major crime rings were going to be guarding their bosses at some meet. Violence between the gangs had been low recently, but their violence against the people who could turn them in had gone way up. It was all Theron could do to save one or two of them, pay them for a meal with creds he'd taken off the dumb thugs.

Theron pulled up an old code that was present in all of the nodes, a power tracking subroutine that was meant to monitor for overuse or under-performance so that it could be fixed by workers – some three hundred years ago. His earlier wire tampering had given the node a more direct connection to the power supply, so when Theron shut off the power everywhere he could...

Suddenly he had a way to track down the one room still guaranteed auxiliary power. He smiled to himself. "Time those nerf herders met their match," he said to himself while he took his lightsaber from his belt. He thumbed the activation button and the white blade thrummed into being next to him. He checked the directions to the one room draining power still and ran off, using his not insignificant command of the Force to make himself silent, to sense every threat around any corner. A feeling of... not unease, but that he was being watched, tingled through Theron's mind. It wasn't a danger, but it was interesting. Important. Theron pushed it from his mind for the time being.

When he finally stood outside of the meeting place, he was itching – no, aching – for a fight. He held his saber in front of him then twisted his body. His left palm slammed out before him, a concussive wave of power rushing from it and blowing a large chunk of the wall away. Theron jumped after it, already deflecting blaster fire. He landed on the durasteel slab – the door had killed more than a few of the gangsters in its crash – and began to cause the incoming bolts to ricochet closer and closer to their points of origin. "What's a damn Jedi doin' here!?" one of the criminals, a Mirialan, shouted. Moments later, a red blaster bolt flew through her shoulder, bounce back from Theron's wall of white plasma.

"Not a Jedi!" Theron snapped. He raised his left hand and unleashed a bubble of power, stunning all in the room. He smirked and decided to try something new. With a concentrated effort, Theron let pure energy flow from his palm, Force lightning. He noted as it flowed that it was odd, white rather than the violent violet that it was when most Sith or even Jedi used the technique. The gangsters screamed in pain as the energy lanced from body to body, frying them inside out.

The feeling tingled in the back of Theron's mind again, and he turned to face the Chiss staring at him. She was approaching maturity, proportionally the same age as Theron most likely. Her blue-black hair was loose around her shoulders and neck, and she had a blaster pistol aimed at Theron. Not trained or comfortable with the weapon, though, so she wasn't a member of any of the gangs. She was just a scared young woman. Theron considered her for a moment, then deactivated his lightsaber and raised his hand out to her. "I'm Theron. You are?"

SWSWSWSWSW

"You are one nasty nerf herder!" Leon shouted as he narrowly dodged the slab of durasteel that slammed into the ground. The Vong infected Whipid was bigger and nastier than most of his ilk. "I mean, who even uses clubs when there are blaster rifles everywhere!?"

The Whipid roared in response and the club crashed down with Leon just barely missing getting crushed. "Are you getting any _kriffing_ closer!?" Leon shouted at Mari as he rolled past another incoming blow. "I mean, finding the data center with that wiring trick was great and all, but can you find the data faster!?"

"Do you want to switch?" Mari shouted back as she continued to work. Leon didn't respond, instead focusing on surviving. "Didn't think so!"

Leon couldn't help but snicker to himself as he moved past another attack. Girl was funny. He slashed his sword through the air, trying to take a chunk out of the Whipid's leg as he went. Instead, his momentum was completely stopped. The vibrosword flew out of his hand, and the tree trunk of a leg kicked him across the room. He landed with a thud and groan against the wall. "Can you keep him busy still? I don't need this guy attacking me too!"

Leon groaned and forced himself to his feet. "Fine. I'll try," he said. "Ugh... Don't have a weapon, though."

 _Well, actually_...

Leon smiled and pulled the black and silver cylinder from his hip. "Well, actually..." he thumbed the activator and smiled as the bright blue-white blade erupted into being next to him. He swung it in front of him and barely caught the bottom half of the hilt with his other hand. "Damn thing's weight is off."

The Whipid cursed in its language and ran at Leon again. _No time to worry about that. Left leg_.

Leon rushed forward, just past the arc of the incoming club. The blue blade slashed through the Vongformed organism's leg like a hot knife through already melted bantha butter. The Whipid screamed in pain as it tumbled to the ground. The club collapsed next to it. Leon coldly, analytically acted out his next moves. _Arms next. Then leg. Only kill something this strong when it is defenseless – don't let it have any opening_. Every swipe of the blade was calm. Efficient and cold. When the blade cauterized the wounds, the mutated Vong spore did not reach out. It died. When the Whipid no longer had a head on its shoulders, Leon knew he had won.

"You're surprisingly handy with that thing," Mari said. She held out a small drive. "Know where we're going next."

Leon looked down at the lightsaber in his hand. Surprisingly good was right. The weight no longer felt off, no longer felt lopsided, and the weapon did not even quiver next to him. Leon's arm wasn't shaking at all, be it from adrenaline or fear. _Don't worry about it._

Leon shrugged and deactivated the saber. He grinned at the Chiss. "You'll have to teach me that trick sometime," he told her. She grinned back. "Race you back?"

"Oh, you're on," she replied, and the two both bolted towards the rendezvous with Commander Naga.


	8. Antibodies

"Oh, _kriff_ ," Leon breathed as the speeder approached the Red Vong headquarters. Smoke arched upward from a brilliant fire, a rainbow of colors resulting from the metals burning. The metal city was bathed in eery lights of red and green and yellow. For the time being, the fires were limited to areas where the Triral soldiers and the Vong were battling it out. "I think we're late to the party."

"There's no time to worry about that," Erea said as she began to bring the speeder down. None of the combatants below had started to fire upon them yet, likely because neither knew if the speeder was full of reinforcements for the battle or of more enemies. Had they known the truth, the speeder would likely have been blasted from the sky. "We have to get the drive before the Triumvirates are able to find it. Does that data say anything about where the drive will be?"

Mari shrugged. "There's a lot about their leader, the Shaper. It sounds as if he's going to have the drive with him in his chambers. Here, I'll download a map to our datapads," she replied. She tapped the screen of the PDA and copied data to the two others sitting in the speeder. She passed them over to Leon and the Commander. "Looks like it's pretty far into the Vong's massive hide out."

"Oh, is it only good news, then?" Leon asked as he aimed his blaster over the edge of the speeder. He had to take out the Trirals and Vong that would assault the speeder once they inevitably discovered that Leon and his party were reinforcements for neither side of the battle.

"Not only. I hope you're ready to try that lightsaber out again, the data also says his strongest warriors are there with him as bodyguards," Mari said as she pulled her modifiable blaster rifle from her back and aimed it over the edge as well.

"What!?" Naga asked, turning to the Chiss woman. The speeder jolted and Leon fell into the back bench just in time to grab Mari's ankle before she lost her balance and began to fall over the side. Her blaster shattered against the duracrete fare below.

" _Kark_ is wrong with you?" Leon snapped as he pulled the Chiss back into the speeder. Erea shook her head and avoided the question. "Well?"

"We're landing now. Get ready," Erea commanded. She grabbed one of her blasters as the speeder set down and the doors flew open.

Leon was the first out, firing his blaster with a volley of shots that, had not every one collided with some necessary part of the Triral soldiers approaching, could have been called wild. He caught sight of the weaponry they were carrying and tossed one to Mari to replace her broken weapon. As they ran towards the entrance he pointed towards a skirmish between the two sides. "Looks like these are plasma projectors," he said as a Triral soldier incinerated a group of Vong running towards him. They stayed dead.

Mari grinned and ran to the front of the group, firing a volley into the wall of Red Vong that stood before them, clogging the entrance. As the Red Vong cultists dissolved into dust, a path between the monsters opened and the group sprinted towards it, blaster fire exploding through the air around them. "We need to get through there!" Leon snapped as he pulled a thermal detonator from his belt. He set it on a timer and dropped it, punting it with his foot into the center of the group guarding the door. A few moments later, the intense heat of the detonator burned the monsters away to ashes. The group sprinted through and hid behind the huge durasteel doors to take cover from the wall of blaster fire that was following them.

"Can you close the doors?" Erea shouted to Mari, who was trying to access the ancient wiring of a nearby terminal node. The Chiss glanced dryly up at the woman as she cut wires. The durasteel bulkheads slammed shut. "Oh."

"Yeah, princess," Mari said sarcastically as she stood up. She shook her head. "But with those plasma projectors, I'm willing to bet that the military will break in here pretty fast once the fighting's over. We need to hurry."

Leon grinned and drew his vibrosword. "Then what are we waiting for?"

SWSWSWSWSW

The shadowy figure watched the four intruders intently on the holo screen, studying and memorizing the shapes of each one present. His fingers trembled in anticipation as he buried his fingers into the Vong Spore. The wriggling worms reached out towards their creator, their god, and crawled across his skin with the same hungry anticipation.

Four killers. Four warriors. Four soldiers. It was easily visible in the way that they carried themselves, like those who had lost too much in a short time. One, though, ran like something entirely different. It was a movement that was far too familiar to the shadowy figure, the Shaper. The fourth intruder moved like he knew a pain much deeper than that of a mere warrior. No, this one knew of betrayal that cut to the core of one's being. He had seen his closest family die, and that creates a very visible rage.

Three of the warriors were running together towards, the Shaper realized, his bunker. It would save his men the time of hunting down the Chiss and two humans and dragging them there, leaving more manpower to devote to capturing the other intruder who was heading in the opposite direction. The Shaper frowned. Towards, in fact, the other group. Their paths would cross. "Tell the Warrior Caste to attack the four at that hallway," the Shaper said. He pulled his hand from the Vong Spore, one worm clinging to his skin as he moved it, and pointed at one of the screens. "Bring all four here; we shall have new entrants into the Pain tonight!"

SWSWSWSWSW

Leon acted before he even knew what was going on. He had weapon in hand, deflecting the incoming blows of the Red Vong stun staves that rushed towards him. It wasn't until his weapon burned through the skull of one Vong that he noticed he was even using the blue white saber he had taken from the Jedi. Erea was watching him wearily throughout the battle, her eyes fixed on the lightsaber and its petal-like trails through the air.

After just a few short moments, the attacking force was dead. "Well, damn," a new voice said, awestruck. Leon quickly turned and leveled the plasma blade at the newcomer. It was a man of about sixty, hair cut down to a soldier's cut. White and black armor of Echani make protected his flesh with artful curves and designs etched into it. His skin was a deep tan, despite his bright white hair and matching eyes. He was an Echani, at least mostly. He held a simultaneously huge and elegant blaster cannon in his right hand, a monster of a weapon. "Put that down before you hurt someone. If I wanted to kill you you would be dead already."

"I don't know if that's true," Leon retorted.

"It is," the Echani said so calmly that Leon found himself believing it as well.

"What do you want?" Erea finally asked.

"Hm?" the Echani asked. He turned towards Naga and frowned. Finally: "I'm here to get something for an employer of mine. I'm not here to fight normal people. I've collected what I need, so just let me pass and we can all get what we want."

Leon frowned, then deactivated his saber. Erea gawked at him, Mari too. "Who is he?" Leon asked.

"He works for Hutt, Queen Jool," Mari hissed. She shook her head. "Deranis the Scalpel."

"Because I'm exact, yes, yes. Can we put this behind us, now?" The blaster was not yet pointed at the group, but Leon had heard legends about how the Echani could predict the movement of their enemies, much like Jedi.

Leon glanced between the Echani and Mari. He slid his thumb up and down the activator of the lightsaber, considering his next moves. Leon was not sure how much stock to put into the supposed rumors that the Echani could predict movements in battle, but a one man strike team couldn't make it so far into the Red Vong base by being a pushover. Of course, neither were the three of them.

 _He could be useful_. Leon nodded to himself. "Weapons down," he commanded, drawing more surprised looks from the group. "There's no point in us getting in an extra fire fight. Just tell us, Deranis, how many guards are there at the Shaper's bunker?"

The Echani frowned, making his already serious face look even angrier. "There was a Whipid and a Trandoshan outside of one door. I poisoned them both, so they should be dead by now. Other than that, I don't know," the Echani man replied. He bowed slightly to Leon. "Thank you. May our paths cross again, Sith." With that, the Echani stalked into the darkness past the group. Leon felt that the last word lent some credence to the idea that Echani can read their opponent's hearts from the mere preamble to combat was true.

"I am glad we did not kill him, but I believe it unwise to allow one connected with a Hutt to know of us. It would not do to capture the drive just to be turned over by this Queen Jool for the reward money," Erea said.

"Well, then it'll come to that. You can't expect everyone to betray you," Leon pointed out. Erea began to reply, but her words caught in her throat. "As we can tell from Blue over here, even Revan knew that."

"Blue?" the Chiss woman asked, annoyed.

"No? Okay, as we can tell from Mari, even Revan knew that," Leon explained. He buckled the lightsaber back to his hip and noticed that his hand felt oddly... incomplete without its weight. He glanced back at Marien and Erea. "Let's move. The Trirals are probably already in here and getting closer by the second." The group nodded and they all ran off together once again. Leon glanced over his shoulder as they did, sure that someone was watching them. For a moment, in the shadows, it seemed as if he was right. He thought he saw a faceless man in black staring at him from the shadows. When he slowed slightly to look more intently, however, he saw there was no one. Leon frowned, but turned and sprinted to catch up with Erea and Mari.

The shadow however did not stop watching the man running towards battle. Leon was stubbornly moral, more than a bit judgmental because of that, and clueless in the matters of the heart. Honestly, he reminded the shade of who he had been as a younger man. The black-robed man chuckled and looked down the hallway before walking down to follow Leon.

The man crossed his arms as he walked past the corpses of the Red Vong. He hadn't expected them to get _more_ disgusting, but there they were, sickly creatures struggling to infect. He thought about slamming his boot heel into one of the more intact skulls, but decided against the futility of it. It would be a waste of his precious time.

No, he was not one to waste his time. "Well, it's weird to be on this side of things," he remarked as he began to follow Leon and his crew.

SWSWSWSWSW

Leon dodged and rolled past the crashing blows of the Vong Spore infected Wookiee and Gamorrean, both of which seemed to be engorged by the poison rushing through their veins. "You got a Wookiee and a Trandoshan to work together!?" Leon shouted at the Shaper, who hid in the shadows. Deranis had mentioned a Trandoshan, so Leon would never have dreamed that a Vongformed Wook would show up too. "Wow, if you weren't completely insane I would say you were pretty good at conflict resolution!"

The Shaper responded as he had for every single one of Leon's taunting remarks – silence. The silhouette merely gazed down at him, unmoving and threatening in the dimness of the room. The shadows dancing from Leon's appropriated lightsaber did nothing to help in that regard.

Leon felt the hair on the back of his neck rise again, and he launched himself backwards, dodging the huge club that shattered the duracrete where he'd been standing. "Seriously, clubs? That's what you guys use in an era of _laser swords_!?" he snapped at the Gamorrean, who snarled – or oinked? – and rushed towards the soldier like a boar. Leon scoffed. "That's the best you can do?" he asked. He laughed and began to throw himself out of the way, but froze as he felt his hair rise once more. A club soared through the air he would have occupied just a second later.

That moment of hesitation, unfortunately, was more than enough for the Vongformed monster to collide with him and send him flying across the room with the sound of a _crack_. "My ribs... Ow..." Leon groaned to himself.

"Leon!" Mari screamed. She ran over to try and help, but was soon batted away by the roaring Wookiee. She screamed in pain and her arm bent outwards at an odd angle.

Leon growled in rage and forced himself to his feet. The world went red. "Don't touch them!" he screamed. The lightsaber flew through the air to his hand, drawing a fearful and surprised gasp from Erea. Leon did not even notice, however. He ran forward, screaming. The Gamorrean squealed with laughter and brought its weapon down to crush the human. Leon roared in response and jumped _over_ the incoming slab of durasteel. He flipped through the air, dragging the blue saber behind him as he soared, and the light carved its way through the pig's head.

Before the husk of a sapient fell to the ground, Leon was already rushing the Wookiee. The great beast yelped in fear as Leon approached and tried to swing its huge arms in an arc to sweep the human away. Without thinking – he could barely truly comprehend what was in front of him – Leon raised his blade, first cutting off one arm and then the other. The Wookiee did not even get to yelp in pain before its head was smoking on the ground. "Leo -" Erea began, only to be cut off by the lightsaber approaching her. She jumped out of the way, barely, and rolled to her feet. "What's wrong!?"

"Traitor!" Leon screamed, not cognizant of what he was doing. "I'll kill you!"

"That's Erea!" Mari shouted from the ground. She was holding her broken arm. "Leon calm down!"

Leon roared and swiped at Erea again, who once more was barely able to move out of its path. "Leon, stop!" Erea begged as another attack came down towards her.

"LEON!"

Leon's weapon froze inches from Erea's heart. He shook his head, trying to clear the red haze from his mind. "I.. what?"

"Well, it would seem losing my Generals was worth it," the Shaper said suddenly, his first words since the group had entered. Leon turned back to the man, who had not moved since before the battle had begun, and the soldier felt another shiver run through him and he threw himself forward instinctively, his body dodging the mutant Vongspore that rained from the ceiling.

Erea and Mari were not so lucky, however. They screamed in terrible agony as the Vong Spore burrowed through their skin, muscle, and bone. It tore away, it ate at their flesh and bone. Burrowed into their core being.

Leon felt the rage rise in his throat again but stomped it down; he'd be of no use to either of them if he couldn't think. Instead he walked over tot he Shaper, who was making no noise. Leon stared down at the hooded creature. "Give me an antidote, and give me the drive."

The Shaper looked up and Leon was surprised to see a _true_ Vong. A Yuuzhan Vong of the priestly Shaper caste. It's face was covered in the self-mutilative wounds that the Yuuzhan Vong had been known for, with its nose carved off by a saw-tooth knife. Hooks held the sapient's eyelids ever open and the tendons of the being's arms were revealed to the air within deep, jagged knife wounds. Its hideous face grinned evilly. "No."

Leon shook with rage and reached down. His fingers tightened around the Vong's throat and he lifted it into the air. He noticed its legs were gone, also self-mutilation. "You will."

"Or what?" the Vong asked. Leon froze. "Pain is god. You can do nothing to me that will not purify me!"

Leon swallowed and began to breath quickly, fearfully. When the black-gloved hand was on his shoulder, he barely even registered it. "There is no antidote, at least not one he can give you," a new voice said. Leon dropped the legless creature back into its throne and readied for battle with the newcomer. He was stopped when the third party grabbed his wrist and shoulder before forcing him down to one knee. "I'm not here to fight Leon, I'm here to help. He has the drive, so focus on that."

Leon glared up at the black-robed man, trying to catch sight of defining features. The hood covered his entire face, however. The man released Leon, and the soldier sprang up to stare at the robed man. He was silent for a while. Finally, the newcomer spoke again, "Try to reach out, feel his mind. Ever since the Vong found Zonoma Sekot they've been weak against the Force. Get him to tell you what you want by tricking his free will."

Leon growled and turned to the Vong. "Where is the drive?" he asked.

"Never..." the creature hissed back.

Leon laughed once and lowered his saber. He reached out with his hand and grabbed the Vong by his ponytail. Yanking on the hair, Leon brought the Shaper's face near his own until he could almost feel the writhing tendrils of the Vong's mind, a parasite much like its creations. " _Where is the drive?_ "

The Vong gasped and shook. Leon didn't know what was happening, and he was incredibly confused by what came next. "It is in the armrest of the chair."

Leon frowned, but let go of the Shaper's hair and checked if he was telling the truth. Leon couldn't contain his joy when he took the drive out and pocketed it. "What..?" he laughed in disbelief. He began to ask the Vong about an antidote, but was cut off by a sudden pressure on his arm. The blue saber rushed forward and through the chest of the Vong. The alien to the galaxy gurgled in fear and pain as the life left its body. Leon dropped the body and jumped at the robed man in rage. "I could've gotten the antidote out of him!"

"There isn't one. The strain's too new," the robed man simply replied as he nimbly sidestepped every one of Leon's attacks. He moved forward as Leon attacked again and grabbed his wrist. Leon gasped in pain as his wrist was twisted to the side and his stolen saber clattered against the ground. "Lucky for you, they can be saved." The robed man turned and dragged his new student towards Erea and Mari.

"Let me go!" Leon snapped, trying to get free of the newcomer's durasteel grasp even as he was half-dragged towards his friends. The man finally let go when the two of them were less than a meter from Leon's two infected friends groaning in agony.

"Heal them," the hooded man demanded. He pointed down at the women.

"How!? Who are you?" Leon asked. The man shook his head and pointed again. Leon growled in anger. "Tell me something."

The robed man looked up and sighed. His hood stayed atop his head. "You're going to heal them the same way you got crazy over there to do what you wanted," the man said as he returned his gaze to Leon. "The Force."

Leon breathed heavily and looked down at Erea then Mari. "But I'm no Sith or Knight."

"Yet," the man responded calmly. He held his hand out, waiting for something. It took Leon a moment, a precious moment of terrible agony for his friends, to figure out that the man wanted his hand. "Hm... her arm... it might have to go. We'll cross that bridge if we come to it. For now..." The man dragged Leon down until he could place his arms on Erea and Mari's shoulders.

"What do I do?" Leon asked, desperate for instruction.

The man in the robes shrugged and walked towards the door. "Save 'em or die. Looks like you've only got ten minutes or so before they die or are driven completely insane. Don't waste that time chasin' after me." And then he disappeared.

Leon looked down at the woman, who were groaning – and occasionally screaming – in agony. "I'm going to fix this," he assured, though he was unsure if they could hear them through the mind numbing pain. "Just let me try to figure it out."

SWSWSWSWSW

The hooded figure watched closely as Leon continued to fail. "Maybe he isn't as smart as I gave him credit for," the man mumbled to himself. He crossed his arms, shook his head, and sighed. "Well, looks like those two are dead."

"No... NO!" Leon screamed. The figure looked up, interested as electricity sparked through the air. The two women screamed in pain as the white lightning was channeled from their friend's grip and into their bodies. The Spores infecting them seemed to scream in pain as well, as if they were being murdered too. After a few moments, they wilted away. The human woman was fine, the other... Her bones had been healed, but in the wrong position. Once the women came to, they'd come to the same conclusion as the hooded man had – the arm would have to go. And once they got to Ruusan, the Chiss would likely be able to get a new arm before entering the Academy.

Of course, that all relied entirely upon the Echani now.

SWSWSWSWSW

"DAMMIT!" Admiral Taas screamed. He threw the holopad from his desk at the wall and it shattered. Shards of plasteel stuck from the dented wall. He collapsed into his desk chair and slammed his fist onto the table. " _Kriff_."

Ana was silent as the admiral hissed and growled to himself. "They escaped with the drive," Van finally murmured. He sighed and let his head fall to the desk. "I... That – "

"I am aware, Van. The drive is incredibly important," Ana replied from the hologram.

"Than why have we let the Sith get it?" Van asked, raising his head. "The Triumvirate's existence could depend on the data that lies within that drive. I don't want to know what could happen if we do not get it."

Ana looked down and shook her head. "There's a more interesting development I have been looking into."

"You've been diverting your time and resources from the drive?" Van asked. He looked up with tired, angry eyes.

"Van this could potentially be far more important than the drive," Ana said simply, her eyes boring earnestly into the Admiral's. They were quiet for a while.

Van finally broke the silence. "Fine. I trust you on this one. What do you need?"

Ana breathed a sigh of relief. "Don't worry. I have a plan all ready to go. We'll see if I'm right, and if not I can find a way to get a copy of the drive eventually."

Van sighed shakily. "What is it? That you're wondering?"

Ana shook her head. "I'll let you know when I know," she replied, and the line went dead.


	9. Conspiracy to Commit Theft

Leon hadn't taken his eyes off of the unconscious form of Marien since they'd pumped her full of painkillers the night before. He tossed the drive from hand to hand nervously, trying hard to look at Mari without seeing her arm. The bones were bent in a myriad of different directions from just above her elbow all the way down to her wrist. Leon's brow furrowed – when he had gone out of control, they hadn't been able to pay attention to the trap. It was his fault that this was happening.

But that didn't stop his mind from wandering. Behind the constant stream of worry for Mari running through his thoughts, he couldn't take his mind off of the Black Robed man. He had shown up out of nowhere and disappeared just as suddenly. "I don't know. Was it a Jedi?" Erea had asked after knocking out Mari. She had grimaced while looking at the arm.

"I doubt it. When I had to heal you two he basically told me to figure it out," Leon had replied. "A Jedi wouldn't have helped us anyways."

"Yes... Well, as far as I know, there aren't any Sith left on Coruscant. Any that were in the Sith's records responded to Lord Revan's summons when he took over," Erea had explained. She frowned. "An Imperial Knight?"

Leon shook his head. "No... that – I don't know. He wasn't an Imperial Knight."

Leon was quiet as he stared at Marien, his mind finally silent for a moment. The Chiss woman shuddered in her forced sleep. Slivers of pain slipping through? Or something else? He pocketed the drive and clutched woman's good hand. Her shivering seemed to slow and eventually stop. They needed to get her off planet, _soon_. "Are you any closer?" Leon asked Erea.

The redhead sighed. "Not any more than I was five minutes ago when you asked last," she responded. Her fingers kept clacking against the holopad. "Triumvirate government is preventing all ship sales on planet, and finding black market deals isn't as easy on the holo net as one would think. In fact, most people think it's difficult, so it's damn near impossible!"

"Don't snap at me!" Leon growled. He stood up suddenly and the chair he had been sitting on flew backwards to clack against the wall. Mari flinched in her sleep at the noise. Leon growled and crouched next to her again.

"I'm trying, Leon," Erea sighed. She turned from the holopad. "I'm looking, but I'm not finding anything."

Leon groaned inwardly. "I know. I just... She's our friend. We need to help her."

"I know," Erea replied. She put the holopad down and walked over to place her hand on Leon's shoulder. "We will. Just give me a min-"

"Or you could just listen to me," a calm voice interjected as the doors slid open. Leon's vibrosword was out and at the Echani's throat before the door was even open. "Well, you're faster than I thought. But, I'm faster than you thought."

Leon glanced down to see a combat knife poking into his gut. "Call it a draw?" Leon asked, pulling his weapon down. The Echani shrugged and sheathed his knife. Leon stepped back from Deranis and, in a few steps, was back at Marien's side. He glanced at her for a moment, then looked back up at Deranis with hard eyes. "Why are you here? How did you find us?"

The Echani looked around the room. He raised a hand and pulled a small disk from his belt, then tossed it into the room. The device beeped as soon as it hit the ground. "Okay, we're safe in here. No outside signals can come in, no inside signals can get out," he stated. Deranis walked away from the door, which shut behind him with a pressurized hiss. "I found you by following the tracer tag I put on you in the Red Vong's hideout."

"You tagged us?" Erea asked.

"I'm not talking to you, girl," Deranis said gruffly. He pointed at Leon. "The way you and the Chiss acted when he lowered his weapon, he's in command here."

Erea scoffed indignantly."I'm his commanding offic-"

The Echani put his hand up and Naga was silenced. "The way you moved... you're dependent on him, on what he thinks. You follow. He is a leader, it is only natural. When he makes a movement, you subconsciously mirror it. I could see it. Don't feel bad, I could see my own stance doing the same."

"What do you mean?" Leon asked. His fingers were stretched out, brushing against Mari's shoulder. The human contact seemed to be lessening her suffering, if only a little.

"Leaders attract followers. There's only going to be more of us as time goes on," Deranis explained. He began to ignore Erea again. "Leon, that's your name? I placed a tracker on you when we met. You are level headed, clever, and obviously a good enough fighter to make it in and out of there alive. I have been listening to your problem on my way here, and I believe that I have a solution."

Leon perked up. "Tell me," he demanded. "Why help us, and what do you propose?"

Deranis nodded. "Queen Jool is not honorable. Jool's a Hutt, after all, but it was preferable to working for the Triumvirate; Jool was the least corrupt gang leader in power in all of Coruscant. Unfortunately, in her desire for power I no longer believe that to be true. She sent me to the Red Vong to uncover the processes used in the creation of their new Vong Spore," Deranis explained as he drew the curtains. "She was planning on selling to the Triumvirate before the data... mysteriously disappeared."

"That could have changed the tide of the war!" Erea hissed. Her eyes were wide. "To use those would have been... horrible."

"Yes, it would have been void of honor," Deranis agreed. He crossed his arms and turned to Leon. "When I met you, I knew you were Sith on Coruscant, I knew a dangerous secret, and then you let me go. It confused me, honor behind enemy lines. But it earned my respect as well. I knew that I would need a new purpose once I left Coruscant, and you need a ship. Queen Jool came into possession of a ship almost six months ago. Never uses it, merely flaunts the power that comes with owning such a piece of history. Let me come with you, and I'll help you liberate it from her ownership."

"What piece of history?" Leon asked. He hadn't moved, as if he was trying to drain the pain from Marien. "What type of ship is it?"

"A smuggling freighter, named after some sort of bird," Deranis replied.

SWSWSWSWSW

"Ah, don't you just love it, Darling?" Jool asked Deranis and Leon as she led them around her base.

Leon had gained a highly viable level of street cred from being the one to take down the Red Vong. Single handedly according to the eye witness account of Deranis the Scalpel himself. Overnight, the mysterious 'Blue Blade' had become somewhat of an urban legend, one that reminded the scared people of their long lost Gray Jedi.

So when Deranis pulled the new kid on the block into Jool's office, the crime lord was overjoyed. The Hutt was always on the lookout for new talent to expand her empire and up and comers, while always a risk, held the greatest potential as a long term investment. And one who broke through the fighting between the Vong and Triumvirate military alone to kill the Shaper, one of Jool's biggest competitors? Well, there was no risk involved with overestimating his skill, was there?

Deranis' plan was simple enough. Use Leon's new fame as a warrior in the underground to bring him in on Jool's operation. Once in, Jool would give the two thieves' a complete rundown of the facility, including the location of the Ship, Jool's crown jewel. The whole thing, as a plan, was sound. But it reeked of... _deja vu_ to the young soldier. But when had he ever been in enemy territory trying to steal a ship before?

"Well?" Jool insisted.

"What?" Leon asked. He shook his head. "I'm sorry, I was lost in thought."

"A sign of a sharp mind, Darling," Jool said, assuaging fears of her rage. "The ship, it is amazing, is it not? It was left here by a very famous figure almost two standard years ago. I keep it stocked with the same items it was left with, just to keep the price up. Once this war is over, the price will _skyrocket_."

Leon glanced up at the black and red ship, one made in the usual disk-like shape of a Correlian freighter. "What is it?"

Jool laughed. "Why, Darling, you don't know the stories? That is the _Crimson Eagle!_ "

Leon's breath caught in his throat. The black and bloody crimson of the ship seemed to glow, now, with the fire of a fate that had forgotten it until that moment. This was the ship of Darth Revan.

SWSWSWSWSW

"You'll stay here with Deranis, darling," Jool told Leon as they neared the sleeping quarters for members of Jool's cartel. "I'll be setting up a job for you two. You make money, you get money, and all that. Just don't leave until then – I have a surprise for you." The Hutt smiled and waved, then made to leave.

When the door shut, Deranis narrowed his eyes. "She didn't tell me about a surprise," he growled. He pulled his blaster from his back and primed the power cell. "We need to get to the _Eagle_ now, and hurry to pick up your crew on the way off planet."

"I have a bad feeling about this," Leon whispered to himself. He took his vibrosword from his belt and the sword snapped into place. The two men quietly ran from the room and towards the hangar.

"... the deal, Darling," Jool's voice wandered from within the hangar as the two approached.

"Deals change, Hutt," a voice snapped in response. Leon frowned – the voice sounded oddly familiar. "Be thankful we leave you with your enterprise at all." There was the familiar snap-hiss of a lightsaber igniting and Leon's eyes widened. "Where are the Sith?"

Leon tossed his vibrosword to his left hand. "What the _kriff_ are you doing?" Deranis hissed, but Leon wasn't paying attention to him. Leon reached down to his belt and unclipped the lightsaber. He burst into the hangar while igniting the blue blade and room turned to glare at him.

The blonde Jedi snarled. His time in bacta had healed most of his wounds, but the pain and rage remained. "I've been wondering when I would get to kill you," the Jedi growled. He jumped forward, his new lightsaber rushing towards Leon's head.

SWSWSWSWSW

Van reviewed the notes of his deal with the Hutt, Queen Jool. Some said she had played a not insignificant part in the defeat of Krayt some eighty years prior, but had since become just another Hutt crime lord on Coruscant's mid-levels and below. She was a criminal... but criminals had their uses. Now, the Triumvirate could capture the Sith and data drive Ana was hunting in one fell swoop. The operative could be pulled out, and the war could be won in the span of a day.

Van was torn from his reverie by a beep coming from his holo communicator. He pressed the accept button and Ana appeared above his desk. "I have a copy of the drive's data that I acquired this morning. I'm sending you the information now," she said with an excited smile. "This could be what we're looking for."

"Have you seen what's on there?" Van asked hurriedly. His eyes were wide.

"Most of it was under some pretty heavy encryption," Ana said, shaking her head. "It'll take the techs months to wade through it all. But don't worry, we only need that one thing."

Van nodded and clasped his hands. "Perhaps the original drive itself will have a way to override the encryption," he said quietly. Ana looked confused. "A Jedi and trooper strike team was sent in to capture the Sith. We received a tip from a local crime boss in return for a lump sum of credits. We'll have everything in our hands soon."

To Van's surprise, Ana was not happy. "You don't _kriffing_ understand then!" she hissed. She shook her head and slammed her fist into the wall of wherever she was. "That Jedi is going to die."

"Why?" Van asked, starting to get worried.

"Because one of the Sith might be just as strong as Theron," Ana shouted. Her eyes were wide with fear and worry.

"Force..." Van groaned as he looked up. "It's too late, they are already there."

Ana shook her head. "Then may the Force be with them."


	10. The Crimson Eagle

Leon brought the stolen saber up and deflected the Jedi's attack, the blue clashing against yellow in a green flash. "I had been wondering where you'd run off to," the Jedi growled, his eyes a sickly shade of yellow. Leon snarled back and slashed at the Jedi with his vibrosword. The Jedi laughed and weaved below the metal blade, disengaging the saber lock. He delivered a force enhanced palm to Leon's midsection and the soldier stumbled back. "Though I was hoping to fight the monster, not the boy."

Leon narrowed his eyes as he felt the rage building in his chest. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Deranis snarling and drawing his blaster to train it on the, as of yet, frozen troopers. Leon shook his head, catching the Echani's eye and receiving a confused nod in reply. Leon returned his attention to the Jedi again just in time to bring the lightsaber up to parry a stab.

Leon bottled his anger down and took a breath. He couldn't afford to go out of control again, not so close to victory. Besides, that wild rage hadn't helped him against the Jedi before. "I think you overestimate yourself, buddy," Leon retorted with a smirk as he slashed his vibrosword through the air, aiming to decapitate his opponent. The Jedi expertly leaned just out of the sword's path before slashing at Leon's chest, a blow blocked just in time by the blue blade. Leon slashed down with his sword, since the Jedi was preoccupied with the saber lock, only to have his wrist grabbed by the Jedi's right hand. The two struggled in a battle of wills and strength. "I mean, I beat you last time."

"With the help of that _schutta_ , perhaps," the Jedi snarled. The two struggled uselessly against one another, and the troopers grew restless and confused.

"A non-force sensitive _schutta,_ thank you very much," Leon said with a mocking grin. "What would your Jedi buddies say? Beaten in a sword fight by a normal soldier then beaten by a surprise attack? Aren't you supposed to sense these things?"

The Jedi growled. "Aren't you supposed to die!?"

"Wow, real witty," Leon responded. He lashed out with his leg, breaking the Jedi's hold on his wrist and sending the both of them tumbling away from each other.

"Fire, men!" one of the troopers said as the Jedi cleared their line of fire.

"No!" the Jedi snapped as blaster fire began to fly towards Leon. The Jedi growled and leaped between his prey and the fire, deflecting the blaster bolts away from Leon and into the bodies of the troopers who had fired them. They screamed as they died at the hands of their ally. The attack quickly stopped as the remaining troopers stared in terror at their commanding officer.

"He is mine," the Jedi hissed, the air around him almost visibly darkening. Leon gulped down a pit of fear in his throat and raised his weapons back to defend himself.

The communicator in Leon's ear beeped. "What do you want me to do, kid? I'm not much help against a Jedi," Deranis asked, the warrior needing direction.

"Hold off until I need your help," Leon whispered. He took a breath to steady himself. "You'll know when."

The Jedi turned slowly back, a manic smile on his face. "Now... where were we?"

Leon narrowed his eyes and rushed forward, deciding to get the first attack in. This Jedi wouldn't defeat him, not when the Crimson Eagle was at stake. His saber slashed through air and he hissed in pain as pure plasma nicked the side of his abdomen. He stumbled to the side; the only other indication of his pain was the twitching of his eye as he stayed in control. "I must commend you," the Jedi hissed, yellow eyes and matching blade glowing threateningly. "Few have the fortitude you do." The Jedi rushed forward and Leon was barely able to block the sheer force behind the downward swipe of the Jedi. "You! –" Another battering assault. "Just! –" Leon brought his vibrosword up to resist the attacks with both arms. "Won't! –" Leon fell to one knee. " _DIE!_ " The Jedi swatted the weapons to the side and blasted Leon with a wall of concussive force, sending the soldier flying and crashing into the hull of the Crimson Eagle.

Leon struggled to get to his feet, but quickly fell back to the cold metal floor. He couldn't move.

SWSWSWSWSW

One Month Before Revan's Death

"What bothers you, Lord Revan?"

Theron turned slowly to the source of the voice. It was his apprentice. "Nernyn," Theron said with a nod of greeting. He turned back to gaze out into the open wilds of the galaxy. Stars upon stars glimmered in the endless expanse. "The actions of my predecessor. They were not as... Hm. Nihl was not as concerned with preservation as I am."

"And why would that dead fool's actions concern you?" the apprentice asked. Theron's hand was on his saber. The man he had once known had been corrupted in Nernyn. Theron trusted his apprentice with important tasks because he was powerful, but he was more Sith than Theron himself ever had been. He had his heart fixed on betrayal, but Theron was not quite sure when.

"Actions upon actions, Apprentice," Theron noted, his thumb dragging softly against the activator of his weapon. "This Empire was born because my parents found a mask, Nernyn. The smallest actions will wreak devastating consequences upon the galaxy, and Nihl's use of Kralle's... manipulative abilities was no small action."

"You worry for the sleeper agents we have behind the enemy's lines?" Nernyn asked. "Why?"

"She is not dead, Apprentice, merely insane," Theron replied calmly. He was still as a statue as his gaze locked onto the star of the planet below his fleet now orbited, up until he held his hand out and traced one gloved hand across the plasteel window. "Besides, the assets she programmed would be useless to us. Weak, as was their master."

"You left her alive?" Nernyn berated. "And you wonder why so many Sith do not respect you."

Theron sighed from behind his mask and let his hand fall from the window. He turned to his apprentice, shaking his head. "Yet many more do. I wage a war that must be waged to prevent deaths. That death must occur to save lives is... unfortunate, but unavoidable."

"What are you?" Nernyn asked, quiet rage in his words. "You speak of mercy and this... weak will. Why not embrace the Dark Side to its fullest and force that same power upon all who follow you?"

"You misunderstand the Dark Side then, Nernyn," Theron responded. His mask beeped as it scanned his apprentice. Nothing was out of the ordinary. Though the ordinary for Nernyn was out of the ordinary. "Chaos, evolution. That is the nature of the Dark Side. The Light is Stasis, preservation. The Dark Side's power lies in its ability to change everything. The Light cannot do that. Similarly, the Dark Side is incapable of healing or preserving anything."

"Preservation is the destruction of evolution," Nernyn hissed.

"Then you do not understand," Theron responded. He turned and waved his hand dismissively. "Leave until you can understand power as it is, not as you wish it to be."

Darth Nernyn was quiet for a moment. Finally, he begrudgingly spat, "Yes, my master."

Theron stood still, gazing out into the stars. Alone, once again. The door hissed shut behind him and he sighed sadly. "I only have myself to blame, I suppose," he whispered to himself. He deactivated his mask's speakers with a flick of his thumb against the shell. His gut burned with rage. "No, not only myself. All that happens from here on out is their fault." He reached up to the plasteel again and glared at the planet below. He had given the Miraluka colony ample time to evacuate, but they would not listen.

Theron activated his communicator. "Is the Triumvirate Fleet close?"

"Yes, Lord Revan," the soldier responded. "The enemy fleet has nearly entered the star system."

"Then begin preparations for lightspeed. We do not want to be in system when the attack ends," Theron commanded as he began to grip the sun with his mind. Rage and compassion ran through his chest. He had to destroy this star, force the people of its planets to die in an instantaneous, fiery death in order to prevent something much worse from coming for them. "Would you contact my apprentice and tell him to watch the power of a true Master?"

"Yes, Lord," the Admiral said before signing off.

Theron raised both hands to the plasteel and let rage run through his body; rage at the Jedi and the Triumvirate who had destroyed everything. Rage at himself for creating Nernyn. Rage at the galaxy. All ran through him until his desire to break the galaxy for breaking him reached a fever pitch. Then he let his memories of his first friend drift through his mind, the only friend who hadn't betrayed him. "I'm coming Mari."

"Enemy fleet inbound!" the Admiral shouted over the ship's speakers. Theron sneered behind his mask as the first enemy ships appeared as if from nothing. "Entering lightspeed!"

"Goodbye, fools," Theron snarled. He pushed his outstretched palms together, dragging them across the window until they met. The star drifting in the abyss of the galaxy began to fluctuate, as if a powerful force was crushing, condensing it. Theron's flagship and fleet entered lightspeed.

As the Sith Emperor tactically retreated, the star collapsed from the pressure of the Force upon it, condensed into a singularity of destruction and death. The fires ran through the solar system before the black hole was formed, permanently destroying one of the Triumvirate's main hyperspace routes with its gravity well. "Nernyn, this is the power of a true Dark Lord."

SWSWSWSWSW

Leon woke up, confused about what he had just seen. Why did he keep seeing the life of a dead Sith Lord? Moreover, why was _he_ seeing the life of the late Emperor, the lowly peon he was? "Oh, please, you're worth more than that," a semi-familiar voice called from around the ship. Leon turned his head slowly, not wanting to attract the Jedi's attention.

The Black-Robed man stood there, faceless and staring down at his student. "I was hoping you would have already defeated him."

"How did you get here?" Leon asked.

"Again, ask me that or save your life?" the Black-Robed man responded. He put his hands up and made the universal motion of a comparison scale. "You want to beat the... well, I guess he's not a Jedi anymore."

"How? He's... too powerful," Leon said worriedly.

"Him? Well, you aren't trained yet. But still, never say something that stupid ever again. He's a lightweight," the man ordered. He glared down at Leon. "Now, how about you get up and get back in it."

"I..." Leon began he shook his head. "He's too strong for me. I don't know anything about the Force!"

"Oh, so you're just being a little _schutta_?" the man shot back. He looked up. "You better hurry before blonde and nuts over there ends up killing... blonder and less nuts?"

Leon looked where the Black-Robed man gaze was fixed. His eyes widened when he saw Deranis leveling a blaster at the Jedi and unleashing a rapid stream of red bolts. " _Kark_ ," Leon hissed he pushed himself up to his feet and bolted towards the Jedi, who began to deflect the bolts. The repeating rifle was fast enough that it ave even the Jedi trouble deflecting them all, and few made their way back at the Echani. More and more did so every moment, however.

"Okay. Fight, win, succeed!" the Black-Robed man called as Leon ran away.

Leon ignited the lightsaber in his hand as he ran. "He's still alive!" one of the troopers called. He leveled his weapon at the Sith soldier, then stopped as he remembered the earlier actions of the Jedi. "Sir! The Sith is still alive!"

The Jedi turned his head towards the voice, catching sight of Leon as he did. "You just won't die!" the Jedi snarled. He turned from Deranis, ignoring the blaster fire that soon hit his shoulder. He jumped through the air, striking at Leon. To the troopers, the Jedi screamed, "Attack the Echani!"

"Sir!" the troopers shouted. They turned towards Deranis, who shook his head and fired at them before they could kill him.

"You're like a roach! You just won't die!" the Jedi snarled again as Leon deflected the next blow. He spun out of the guard and his next blow was blocked as well. The Jedi growled angrily and brought his elbow around to strike at Leon's face. The soldier blocked the attack with his hand, grabbing the Jedi's wrist and pulling it down to his side before snapping his head forward to clash against the Jedi's. The blonde stumbled back.

"How are you fighting like this?" the Jedi snapped. He rushed forward as he regained his balance and his next blow was deflected with a flashy deflect. Leon grinned, cocky now, and allowed himself to be pushed back, inch by inch, towards the Eagle. The Jedi's blows became more rage filled, more erratic, but to Leon it was as if they were coming in slowly, ponderously. He suddenly felt like a Jedi fighting a soldier, instead of the other way around. When he knew he was approaching the Eagle, finally, he deflected the next blow hard enough to cause the Jedi to stumble to the side. He lashed out with his foot and the Jedi fell to the ground, head colliding with the ground and knocking him unconscious.

Leon brought his saber down, ready to kill the Jedi. Then he froze, his mind returning to how Erea had asked – no, begged him to leave the Jedi alive. He really wanted to kill the Jedi – after all, look how much trouble the guy had caused in just a single re-encounter. He lowered his blade to the Jedi's neck. "Stop!"

The troopers turned and froze. Deranis peeked out from behind the corner and walked across the room. "You're going to let us go, or the Jedi dies," Leon shouted to the troopers.

"What are you doing?" Deranis hissed.

Leon ignored him. "Drop your weapons now!" The soldiers hesitated, remembering the way that the Jedi had treated them just a few moments before. Then they all palled – if they tried to kill this Sith, the Jedi would likely murder them all. Queen Jool observed the entire encounter with wide, scared eyes. The troopers dropped their weapons. "Deranis get in the ship. Get it primed. I'll be in in five minutes."

"Aye," Deranis replied, and he ran into the ship.

SWSWSWSWSW

"You let them escape?" the blonde Jedi asked, his voice even, when he awoke.

The captain of the troopers did not know what to do. "I... yes, Sir. It was that or let you die, Sir."

The Jedi was quiet for a while. He turned to Queen Jool. "Where were your men?" he asked quietly. His fists were clenched tightly at his sides. "Why did none come to our aid?"

"I ordered them away," Jool explained crossly. "Your Admiral told me that I should let no one know of our deal. The deal _you_ were going to go back o-" She clutched at her throat with her stumpy arms as her throat was suddenly constricted.

The trooper captain turned, wide eyed, back to the Jedi. The blonde man's eyes glowed yellow, and his left hand was shaped as if clenched around someone's throat. He was killing the Hutt. "Sir, is this wise?"

The Jedi, without stopping, turned to the captain and stared apathetically for a moment. Then his yellow lightsaber arced through the man's chest, bisecting him horizontally. The Jedi turned his hand to the side, snapping Jool's internal structures, and attacked the rest of his men as they raised their weapons on him. Who were they to question him? Who were they to _attack him_? He was only doing what was necessary to kill the monster, to make any who aided him suffer? Couldn't they see that? Well, it didn't matter anymore – he had to ensure that what he had done did not get out. He had to hunt the monster down, and the Council would not let him if they believed he had fallen. He hadn't fallen, but he would get revenge for the fallen. He had to.

SWSWSWSWSW

"So where are we supposed to go now?" Leon asked Deranis and Erea. Erea was piloting the ship off planet; the Triumvirate had not enacted a blockade, fearing that such an act would only serve to incite terror and bring attention to their military's secrets in the war against the Sith Empire. "Which Imperial planet do we go to?"

Erea shook his head and sighed. "It has to be close, somewhere that we can get Mari's arm fixed," she said. "So Kaas and Korriban are out of the question. Mid-Rim or closer."

"If this data you are carrying is important, it will need to be a key sector of space," Deranis continued. "Home to real Sith and Admirals."

Leon frowned to himself. And it had to have a Sith or Imperial Knight academy. He wanted to know why he was, suddenly, able to use the Force. The Black-Robed man... With everything going on, with his visions of Revan coming more and more often, he had to know more about the Force and, maybe, how to use it. "Ruusan," Leon said with a sense of finality. He walked to the front of the cockpit and placed his hands on the copilot's seat. "We're going to Ruusan."


	11. Ruusan

"Unidentified ship, this Ruusan Central Academy control, state your intentions or be fired upon," came over the ship's comms.

Erea looked over at Leon expectantly. He nodded and placed his hand on the communications array. "This is Corporal Leon F. Reht of the _Jagged Fel_ 's Sith Special Forces unit. We have vital information from the _Fel_ 's central computers that we were tasked with returning to the Empire."

"Can you verify your identity?"

"Special Forces ID Resh – Forn – Esk – Leth – 1311."

"Verifying. Cleared. Send your ship's and your crew's information."

Leon smiled at the rest of the group. This guy's day was about to be a lot more exciting. "Okay. Can you send a medical team to our hangar, we have someone in critical condition. Chiss. Okay, sending information."

"Sithspit!" the Ruusan command shouted. There was the noise of feet rushing around in surprise. They heard the hissing of the ship's name over and over again. "Okay. _Crimson Eagle_ , report to hangar bay three. Sending coordinates."

Leon grinned over his shoulder. Deranis glared unamused at the proceedings. Erea was chuckling lightly to herself as she imagined the actions of the soldiers on the world below. Leon's grin stopped as his vision crossed Mari, who was tossing and turning in pain as the last of the painkillers in her system started to lose effect. "Hang on, we'll be there soon."

SWSWSWSWSW

The Gray Council on Ruusan was, save the Emperor himself, the ultimate word of law in the Empire. The Council had been created by Lord Revan shortly after his consolidation of power over both the Sith and the Imperial Knights as a means to unite the two and their disparate belief systems. The council itself was comprised of nine individuals across the spectrum of the Force, each objectively one of the greatest warriors in the galaxy since the death of their first Emperor.

The Gray Lord was the center of the council, one whose vote would be the deciding factor in many decisions had his significant power not been limited by Revan's foresight – his say on matters was hidden completely from his peers unless the council was in true deadlock. The council's say on matters was rarely sought unless the decision had ramifications that would reach far into the Force. Usually, their decisions were limited to the day to day of the Central Academy; as such, the council's true power lay with shaping and organizing the future of the Empire's leadership.

The current Gray Lord, the first to hold the chair, was meditating in his chambers after a... difficult conversation with Emperor Nernyn. The current Sith Emperor was vastly different from his predecessor, attempting even still to enforce his strict adherence to the Dark Side upon the Council, a clear departure from the very idea of the Council.

Then the Gray Lord felt it. He collapsed forward, the various holocrons he had been levitating tumbling towards the floor as his concentration was broken by the sudden appearance of a massive Force signature in the system. He struggled against the oppressive weight of its strength in the air, struggling to breathe as it neared. When he finally regained his composure, he could only heave heavy breaths . It was as if he was meeting Lord Revan for the first time once again.

"Sir," came a voice from the door. The Gray Lord turned his gaze towards the worried looking guard who had been stationed. "Lord Var, we have news."

"Yes. I assume the entire body of the academy has collapsed," Var stated as he struggled to his feet. He breathed heavily from the exertion of merely doing that. "Are we under attack by the Triumvirates? I find that surprising."

"No, sir," the guard said. He grinned widely. "Lord Var, the _Crimson Eagle_ is en route to hangar bay three."

Var felt like he had been slammed in the chest with a hammer. "Th... the _Crimson Eagle_?" he asked quietly. The smiling guard nodded. Var suddenly felt awake, more so than he had in months. Electricity shot through his nervous system, awakening the man and bringing a boisterous laugh erupting from his lungs. He strapped his lightsaber to his hip and noted that he was no longer crushed by the new Force signature, rather he found that he was strengthened by it. "Take me there at once. We have very important guests."

SWSWSWSWSW

Leon and Deranis carried Marien out of the ship on their shoulders, trying not to jostle the poor woman's unnaturally bent arm. "Come on, there's a medical station right here. They're going to fix you right up!" Leon told the Chiss woman, who was struggling to keep it together. He clutched at her side to steady her as she started to fall limp. "Stop! Just keep it together for a few minutes!"

Leon shook his head at Deranis and hefted the woman up into his grip alone, holding her against his chest. He hurried down the ramp, right past the outstretched hand of some dignitary dressed in gray. "This is her. Her bones in her left arm, they're fused incorrectly," Leon told the medical team that made their way towards him, a white hover-stretcher between the doctors and their droid assistants. Leon placed the woman down on the stretcher, hesitantly letting her go. He clutched at her good hand for a moment. "I... Take good care of her. See you soon, Mari." With that, the medical team was gone.

Leon sighed in relief and turned around. He was greeted by the surprised, horrified looks of all present. The VIP dressed in gray stared at the young soldier for a while. The man was a human, maybe in his mid sixties. His hair was a pitch black that flowed down to his shoulders with a warrior's braid running down to his left clavicle. A streak of gray twisted around and around in the braid. Finally, the man smiled. "So, it's you," he said, staring at the young man. "Leon Reht."

Leon nodded and bowed slightly. The man had a lightsaber at his hip, marking him as one of the soldier's superiors. The man shook his head. "Please, no," he said. He looked over at his bodyguard. "Please, lead the other two to their rooms. I will take Corporal Reht to meet privately, then lead him to his room." He looked over at Leon. "Come with me." He began to walk out of the hangar and Leon watched him walk away. The gray man looked over his shoulder. "Come along."

Leon glanced around. "Me?"

"Yes," the man replied. He looked around the hangar. "Carry on, everyone."

The hangar immediately burst into activity, with the different individuals running off to fulfill their duties. Leon looked down, then ran off to follow the gray man. The two walked in silence for some time. "What do you want to talk about?" Leon asked as they walked.

"I'll tell you soon," the gray man replied. He glanced back. "Sorry, I'm – well, everyone will call me Lord Var. I fill the Gray Seat on the Gray Council, and as such am one of the highest masters within the Imperial power structure."

"I'm -"

"Leon Reht. Yes, I heard the communication."

"Why did you want to see me? I'm not even the commanding officer," Leon explained, embarrassed.

"Indeed," Var replied with a smile. He stopped suddenly. "These are my offices. Please, come inside. I wish to speak with you." The door hissed open and Leon was directed in by the Gray Lord.

The office of the Gray Lord was simultaneously ornate and simple. The few furnishings that adorned the walls were expensive, powerful artifacts of varying age. Each one seemed to give Leon a severe headache if he stared at them too long. Another began to glow with red fire if he stood too close to it for too long. "So, it _is_ you," the Gray Lord whispered. Leon turned to the man and saw the Gray Lord was studying him with intent eyes. Var's eyes quickly became transfixed on the lightsaber at Leon's hip. "You're the one who I felt entering the system."

"Excuse me?" Leon asked as Var sat down behind his desk. The older man gestured at the seat across from him. Leon nodded and quietly sat across from Lord Var. "I... here is the information from the _Jagged Fel,_ Sir."

Lord Var ignored the drive that Leon placed on the table and instead pulled up a file on his holocomputer. Leon's file. "Leon... _Farnassus?_ Leon Farnassus Reht?"

"Middle name was my mom's idea," Leon whispered quietly.

"Yes, your file says that as well," Var replied, scrolling further through the information. "Top of your class. It seems you were handpicked for Special Forces testing despite never having applied. They just took note of you. That denotes impressive natural marshal talent."

"Yes? And?"

"You distinguished yourself impressively in your first four engagements. Hm... says here that your CO had a recommendation put in for you to be promoted," Var told the soldier. He paged through more of the information. "It was scheduled to be approved."

Leon's face fell. "I... I didn't know that," he muttered. The memories of his dead friends and allies, still a fresh wound, flashed before his eyes. "Captain... They, all died, sir."

"Ah, yes I heard that. I'm sorry. Tarava was a great soldier, a good man, " Var responded comfortingly. He frowned and moved on. "How did you escape the destruction of the _Fel?_ "

"I fought my way through those invading the ship. The... The rest of my unit was killed early on. A Jedi attacked, made short work of us," Leon explained. He clenched his fist as the memories ran through his head.

"And yet you thrived," Var noted.

Leon took it as an accusation. "By the skin of my teeth, so don't insinuate anything," he spat angrily.

"I meant no offense. I was implying nothing," Var replied. He smiled at the young man's fire.

"Good. The only reason I even survived is because I was saved by Commander Naga. I held the Jedi off and she was able to knock him out. We took the last escape pod and were dragged in the Triral's hyperspace wake."

"Then what happened?" Vark inquired.

Leon growled. "What are you trying to find out?"

"The Chiss you brought in – the injured woman – is incredibly strong in the Force. I assume that she stumbled into your mission as if by fate. Pure Pazaak, hm?" Var asked, a glimmer in his eye. He laughed when he saw Leon's face. "Of course it was. The Force has an interesting way of placing all the players exactly where they need to be. Lord Revan's entire life was more than sufficient evidence for that."

"So you were saying she _had_ to meet us?" Leon inquired. "Why?"

"Not all of you. _You,_ specifically," Var explained. He sighed. "The Chiss and yourself are powerful in the Force and, as such, were called to each other."

"Like how she met Revan, back before he was Revan?" Leon asked.

Var's eyes widened. "She... not to sound as if I did not find her interesting before, but such an event in her past makes her quite the curiosity indeed. Impressive," the Gray Lord muttered. He locked gazes with Leon. "And by extension, it makes you more interesting as well. For her to meet Lord Revan as a boy and to then meet you..."

"Why am I so impressive?" Leon asked. He fidgeted. "What are you talking about?"

"Continue your story," Var commanded.

Leon glared at the Gray Lord for a while. "We lost the data when we crashed, but recovered it with Mari's aid."

"Mari is the Chiss?"

"Yes. And with Deranis – the Echani – with his aid we recovered the _Eagle."_

"Did anything happen then?" Var asked.

Leon narrowed his eyes. "You already know, don't you?" he asked.

"Not quite. I have some ideas, perhaps," Var responded. He smiled softly. "Please, tell me."

Leon sighed. "Someone keeps showing up. Twice on Coruscant this... I don't know. This person showed up and tried to teach me how to... I think he wanted me to use the Force. I'd apparently been doing it on accident before."

"Yes, the Force often displays itself in ways both quiet and obvious to those who do not know they wield its power," Var explained calmly. "Something you could learn to do on your own terms, were you trained. Who was this man that you encountered?"

"I don't know. He wore black robes, didn't seem to like the Triumvirate. I mean, he helped me beat a Jedi in a one on one fight! We assumed he was one of yours."

Var frowned and glanced at his desk. "I see... No, no he was not. But any who would ally with ours against the Triumvirs would be welcomed with open arms," Var explained. The man sighed and moved on. "Is there anything else?"

Leon bit his lip. He didn't know if the dreams of Revan even meant anything, but this indecision only served to draw the Councilor's attention. "What is it?"

Leon frowned. "I keep having these dreams. Different ones, sometimes even when I'm awake. I... they're of Revan."

Var's eyes widened in surprise. He struggled to catch his breath. Finally: "I have a meeting quite soon, but I will have someone lead you to your room. I will be glad to speak with you again soon."

SWSWSWSWSW

"It is not often you are even allowed to bring matters to this council's attention," one of the Sith Lords hissed, a Sith Lord named Darth Stauen. He was the newest member of the council, chosen by his predecessor who had become Darth Nernyn's new apprentice.

Lord Var shook his head. He sat at the top of a semi-circle of the council with the Light to his right and the Dark to his left. "I am well aware of that, boy. But you felt the Force power as clearly as I, and that was across a star system! Leon Reht could very well be more powerful than any of us, and he has not even been trained!" The council quieted at that, all fidgeting anxiously.

"You do not find it odd that he escaped our notice for so long?" the Lord posted opposite Stauen, the most Light of any present.

"What is it you mean, Master Braun?" one of the other Sith asked.

"He was a soldier within our own military, a Special Forces warrior none the less. He should have encountered Imperial Knights or Sith many times during his deployments, and yet we were never alerted to his existence?" Braun pointed out. "The odds of this are..."

"Never tell me the odds," Var demanded. "This boy... This will change all of your views, and I take it as a sign that we must train him."

"What could possibly motivate us to do such?" Stauen asked, drawing similar thoughts from the rest of the council. "I think that you wish to make up for your prior failure. Training the girl who killed Revan so long ago... You want to make a Revan, all so you can erase that putrid odor."

Var furrowed his brow angrily, then took a deep breath to steady himself. He was going to love the reactions that this would get from those pompous _schuttas._ "The boy has been having visions of Revan."

The council was silent. Stauen fidgeted uncomfortably. Finally: "Do you have any proof?" Braun asked, breaking the silence. The tension in the room lessened, somewhat, as he spoke. "What you are insinuating is far beyond a belief that he is as powerful as we suspect."

Var chuckled. "Indeed I am," he replied. He leaned back into his seat and sighed. "I believe him."

"It matters little," a Sith woman to Stauen's right stated. "We can see for ourselves if that is true. Later. For now, we must ask ourselves if it worth the risk of training one so powerful when there are questions left regarding his existence. All in favor?" She started the vote. She, the Imperial Knight immediately to her left, a born Sith on the other side of the room, and Braun raised their hands. That Braun and this woman agreed surprised Var, so he knew that favors would be called in soon.

Stauen scoffed. "You would threaten everything we are creating, our evolution, on a boy who reminds you of Revan? Of the past?" he asked. "Revan died. He is not the future."

"Regardless, Darth Stauen," Vars began, "it is now out of your hands."

"Of course. I should have known it would end like this," Stauen scoffed. "You decide the fate of the boy you brought to our attention. As if you planned it."

"And you would urge I leave him in the galaxy, no training, no direction? You want us to leave him to the Jedi?" the Gray Lord snapped. "Would you fear for your own power so much? Fear for a betrayal from one _I_ would train? I thought the power of the Darkness was infallible, Stauen."

The Dark Lord silently glowered at Var. "Well then, I suppose the next class begins," the Gray Lord said, condescendingly grinning at Stauen. He looked towards the Sith to Stauen's right. Var stood up. "We are adjourned."

The Sith woman caught up to Var as he left the room. Var sighed and turned to her. They stood silent as the rest of the council passed. "I aided you," the woman whispered as Stauen left, leaving only a dirty look behind him. "There is another that interests me. You have not met them, they are unnoticeable next to the boy, in the way that a star is unnoticeable next to a Sun."

"You want the girl?" Var asked. He sighed. "I did not expect to repay your favor so soon. Though, what would be the fun in just me angering Stauen?"

The Sith woman did not respond, no smile, no emotion. "You wish create an unstoppable Force. Any Sith could respect that. But those Forces often meet immovable objects, and we have seen they are not as unstoppable as believed. I believe –"

"Evolution," Var said, smiling interestedly. Var nodded approvingly, amused by the way the woman thought. He turned and began to walk away into the dimness of the hall he approached. "Do as you will, Horn."

"Darth Vallen," the woman replied. She turned and walked into the darkness.

SWSWSWSWSW

Leon lay awake in the room assigned to him a few days after coming to the Central Academy, wondering silently on what was going on. He was a soldier, and a good one at that. He was definitely glad to spend more time in the academy, but he wasn't learning anything about the Force as of yet. In fact, he and his crew were confined entirely to their rooms and the cafeteria while Mari underwent her recovery from the surgery; they'd had to remove her arm from just above the elbow and was, as of yet, not allowed visitors. So, why were they keeping Deranis, Erea, and him there when they could be elsewhere doing... anything. It was already obvious they were a good team, and could likely be out in the galaxy fighting while they waited on Mari's arm. But no, they were still stuck on Ruusan.

Leon tossed on the thin bed until he was on his side and staring at the wall. The air hissed in from the vents, cooling the equator-bound academy. Leon yawned and felt himself beginning to drift off to sleep. However, when the hairs on the back of his neck began to stand up as he laid there, adrenaline shot through his system. Something was going on. He shot out of bed and ran to the door, slamming into the automatic durasteel. They had trapped him in there.

Leon snarled and pounded his shoulder uselessly against the door. " _Kriff_ ," he said as he noticed the smell in the air. Knockout gas. He took a shallow breath and stopped breathing, holding as little of the poison in his lungs as he could. He tried to think of a quick way out of the room and smiled to himself. Stealing that lightsaber from the Jedi was becoming more and more of a contender for his best decision ever.

Leon rushed to his locker, quickly unlocking it. He exhaled and took another shallow breath, causing his head to go woozy. He had to get out of there. He ignited the blade and, instead of its usual brilliant blue, it was a dim green. _The gas_ , he told himself. Leon walked over to the door, hoping this would work, and plunged the blade into the door. There was a curse of surprise from the other side of the barrier as he cut through and began to cut a small hole through the door, just large enough for him to jump through. He took another shallow breath as his lungs began to burn and fell forward just as the hole fell open before him.

"Well, well," a voice above him said as he crawled out of the room, gasping. Leon looked up, his vision blurry. "Not a bad start to training." Leon's vision cleared for a moment before he finally blacked out – Lord Var stood above him, looking down with a wry smile.


	12. Councilors' Trials

Leon groaned from the pounding running through his skull as he forced himself to his feet. " _Kriff..._ " he moaned, rubbing his temples as soon as he woke up. He placed his forehead on the cool, metal floor to escape the painful heat running through his entire body. "Ah... That's better."

Leon didn't open his eyes, electing to remain on the floor and block out whatever might be in the world. The world did not seem to agree. Leon's eyes flew open as a foot collided with his gut, sending him gliding across the durasteel tiling and into a solid wall. "That's gonna bruise," he groaned, forcing himself to his feet. He glared at his attacker, a Cathar almost two and a half meters tall with black stripes running out from the center of his face, accenting the cruel condescension on his face. There were fourteen other men and women of varying species and age all around the room.

"If it isn't the Flyboy," the Cathar snarled. He walked forward, uncurling his claws at his sides. "What are you looking at, _Schutta_?"

Leon groaned to himself. "Great. You think you want pick a fight with me?" he sighed. Leon stood up and laughed, smiling threateningly at the Cathar. "You really don't."

"Now, now, why don't you save this for the trial," a voice commanded, muffled through the durasteel walls. Leon and the rest of the group assembled flinched as the walls of the room shuddered and began to fall way. With a white flash, they disappeared, leaving the warriors in a much larger room. Above, on a balcony, stood Lord Var, along with seven other figures. Leon noticed that, from how the rest of the people were glaring warily with respect filled eyes at them, Var and his peers were those in charge. The Gray Council. Leon frowned. No, the Council less one, it appeared. Var smiled down at the men and women. "Hello, Younglings."

"What's going on!?" Leon snapped up at the gray man. He crossed his arms and glared at Var, awaiting an answer.

"Of course you don't know," the Cathar snapped, drawing Leon's glare again. The Cathar's eyes glowed a dark, sickly yellow. "These are the trials, Flyboy. Not that it matters -"

"Indeed. Because not all of you are going to make it," Var interjected, drawing their attention again. "This is a test. Those who pass will remain at the Central Ruusan Academy."

One of the Sith above continued for his peer. "And only the strongest will even survive," he said, a cruel grin on his face. Leon's eyes widened. He was going to kill all of those present whom did not pass whatever test was coming? Leon's gaze rested on Var's serene facade, not sure if he should believe this. Var would really kill eight people for no reason?

"Indeed," the Gray Lord agreed gravely. He raised his hand slowly, in unison with the other seven Lords. The ground shuddered momentarily and eight pillars erupted from the ground; shuddering and slow they ascended. Atop each of the pillars was a plasma-case containing a set of energy cells, power emitters, and a cylindrical container. Lightsabers. "I'm guessing that the test is simple enough, even for all of you. Those who obtain the kits will show us something for which we are looking. It's a good place to start, though by no means the end all be all. This will continue, however, until they are all taken or until all who have not obtained one are dead."

Leon narrowed his eyes and looked at each of the pillars in turn. To survive, he'd have to grab one of the eight lightsaber kits. Leon then quickly looked down, glancing in a circle against the one he had just made. His eyes fell on all of the other potential students. At the end of the day, eight of these people would fall. On the probability of their deaths, Leon was not convinced. Var did not seem the type to allow such pointless violence. "There aren't any rules, per say. Whatever you used in the... 'preliminaries' is allowed. Weapons, abilities, anything."

Leon grabbed at his hip, smiling slightly as his fingers dragged across the hilts of his vibrosword and lightsaber. The Cathar glared angrily at him, obviously questioning the fairness in letting a soldier run around with a plasma sword. Leon smiled to himself; this was a war, if you couldn't win an unfair fight, you didn't deserve to be in the fight anyways. "Any questions?" The hands of a few prospectives rose. "Okay, good. Go."

Leon was already ducking as the claws of the Cathar slashed down at his skull, jumping backwards as the furry fists passed over him. "Whoa, little kitty got claws," Leon snarked as he pulled his lightsaber from his side. He thumbed the activation button for the weapon and a brilliant blue-white blade erupted at his side.

"Original," the Cathar supplied cruelly. He pulled a vibroknife from his hip and buried it in the chest of a Twi'lek running by, killing the alien in a moment. Leon took a step back, ducking beneath a blaster bolt fired from across the room as the hair on the back of his neck prickled. The vibroknife slashed down at him as he ducked, and Leon brought his blade up to block the knife. The knife glanced off of the blue-white plasma, causing the Cathar to stumble to the side. Leon was surprised, however, when his stolen weapon suddenly deactivated and died. Leon fell to his back and rolled up onto his feet. The Cathar spun around, dagger gripped backhand. "Cortosis. Pure cortosis."

Leon stifled a groan and placed the lightsaber back onto his hip. It wouldn't be much use against the Cathar. He looked around. "Half of the damn lightsabers have already been taken," he hissed to himself as he returned his gaze to the angry cat man. Who wasn't even going for a saber. Leon nearly laughed to himself. The guy was a plant, some idiot meant to make the test harder. Well, for Leon at least. And the maybe dead Twi'lek. Which meant that wasting his time on fighting the guy would only cause problems. Leon pulled his vibrosword from his hip and the blade snapped out from its cylinder, the grooves of the handle a familiar fit against his fingers.

Leon rushed away from the Cathar towards one of the empty pillars. He shouldered a combatant aiming a blaster at the chest of a bruised prospective on the ground, sending the weapon flying and saving the life of the human. His vibrosword flashed downward as he ran, slashing off the hand of the attacker and eliciting a scream of pain. "Serves you right!" he snapped, kicking the man's head as he ran. He groaned to himself as he saw another two prospectives make it up to another two lightsabers. "Only two left? Ah, _kriff..._ "

Leon's attention was being pulled from his task by three warriors, too stupid to realize that working together wasn't going to pay off anymore, advancing on another, weaker combatant. Now, Leon was a Sith soldier through and through. Definitely, with all the respect for strength that brought to his psyche. On the other hand, he was not a big fan of the whole 'using your power to threaten those weaker than you.' It didn't prove anything, except how weak you are. He almost hated that he was going to stop going after the lightsaber to save whoever needed his help, but in the end he found he couldn't stop himself. He wouldn't kill anyone – Force knew that the Empire needed everyone it could get what with the war in a virtual deadlock.

Leon glanced up at the two remaining lightsabers. Those who had reached them were stuck atop them, awaiting further instructions from the Council, all of whom watched the butchery below with varying degrees of placidity. Var's face, for instance, was a stony mask with the only hints of emotion being how the movement of his gaze would speed up when crossing something unsavory. On the other spectrum of things, one of the Sith was taking a genuine amusement in egging on the trio Leon found himself sprinting towards with ignited lightsaber and vibrosword. " _Kriff_."

He crouched down and stopped running, letting his moementum drag him across the floor that was slick with blood. Leon swiped through the body of the first attacking the weaker participant, cutting her legs off at the knees with the blue blade. He set his front foot as he stopped sliding across the ground and spun, bringing his vibrosword down and nicking the tendon in the middle attacker's upper arm. The arm fell, limp, to the warrior's side even as Leon cut off the final enemy's hand and knocked the both of them unconscious with simultaneous blows. Leon turned from the surprised victim and ran off towards what was now the only available lightsaber pillar.

"So you're an altruist, huh?" Leon groaned, a crescendo that eventually evolved into a full angry growl. He sighed defeatedly and turned around to glare at the Cathar, who held the knife at one of the few living, conscious prospective students left besides the two of us. "That'll get you killed."

Leon sighed and glanced up. Above the Cathar stood the eight members of the Gray Council, examining the situation with unveiled interest. Var's knuckles were white against the railing, giving away the emotion that still hid behind his facade of calm detachment. The Sith looked like he was about to explode from anticipation. The face he was making gave Leon a disturbing feeling, as if this was not dissimilar from how the guy acted with his women. Leon returned his attention to the Cathar. "Let him go," Leon commanded. He deactivated the lightsaber and clipped it to his hip, then brought his hand up and held the vibrosword before him in a double grip. "And I'll give you the fight you're obviously just _mewling_ for."

"Another cat pun?" the Cathar asked. He slammed the pommel of the cortosis knife against his hostage's skull and tossed the unconscious body to the side. He pulled another knife from his hip and snarled. "Ready to die, _Schutta_?"

SWSWSWSWSW

A conversation between

Darth Revan and Doron Var.

Unspecified amount of time before creation of Central Academy

Contains a paragraph etched into Gray Council Chamber floor.

"I'm not sure I understand, my Lord," Var told the masked Revan. Like most in the Empire, he had never seen the face of the man. Rumors abounded, of course, and the former second in command of the Imperial Knights was inclined to believe that the Sith Lord's visage was rather unassuming given his parentage. He probably looked attractive, as his parents had been, but dark hair and durasteel gray eyes were common enough that Var was sure Revan examined everything from behind the mask of a second persona, a method of seeing what happened when his underlings were not aware of his presence. "The Central Academy is... I'm not sure if I understand what you are asking of us here."

"This will be the most elite academy of the Force in the galaxy, Doron," the masked man responded without moving. Revan's hands were clasped behind him, the deep black of his robes making him appear like a shadow in the darkness of the cavern. "The Central Academy will be a secret. On one level it will be... as any academy. Sith, Imperial Knights being trained to understand their skills, to become warriors."

"And on what other level could an Academy be used, Lord Revan?" Var asked, confusedly.

"The Gray Council. It will remain here, far from the scheming of my Apprentice. And of myself," the Sith Lord explained. He crossed his arms and continued to gaze across the dim cave. "Here, the Council will continue with its tasks as they have been defined. As well as something else."

"What, my Lord? Is the Council to train those of the Academy? Why did you ask me here, if that is the case?"

Revan actually turned to Var at that before laughing at the very idea. "Of course, not Var," he supplied as he calmed down. "I would never waste your talents on so many. No, the Council will, each of you, teach a single student to mastery. Well, perhaps teach is the wrong word. You and the rest of the Council -"

"Wait," Var interjected, earning a sidelong look from the Mandalorian mask. "My Lord, are you saying – Lord, I am not worthy of a seat on the Council. It is..."

"I did not choose you," Revan rebutted coolly. He turned from Var. "I placed that duty within the hands of the Council itself, especially for choosing such an important position as the Gray Lord. Not that it means much; I would also have chosen you. Despite who you once trained. Because of it, truly."

"My Lord," Var mumbled, nervous and embarrassed.

"Now, let me finish," Revan continued, treating the recent appointment of the other man as cursory. Revan sighed, retracing where he had left off. "Ah, yes. The Council will not be teaching their students. No, you will not be training your future replacements in the strictest sense of the word. You will test them, force them to create their own styles of combat, to press against the boundaries of the Force."

"How?" the new Gray Lord asked.

Revan looked at the ground. "By putting them in the positions where, if they do not succeed, they will die trying." He looked over at Var, his mask betraying nothing. "As soon as you choose an... apprentice, I suppose, that is it. He – or she, I guess – will succeed or die. Any who do not make it in will never know that they were not chosen for greater things. They will train, become soldiers. Perhaps become more. But until then, they would never know of the Council's true purpose. Training of warriors should not focus on supplying a base skill for all, but on catering instead to the strongest."

Var nodded. He knew the truth, more so than any save perhaps Revan himself. "One with true Mastery of the Force is worth hundreds of Jedi, Sith, or Knights," he acquiesced. "Perhaps even more."

"Something your former student never quite learned from you," Revan responded, a shiver of rage running down his spine. To prevent himself from breaking something with his hands, the Sith Lord clasped them behind his back once again. "Oh, if she hadn't been afraid of it, perhaps this war would not exist. Ah, forgive me, Doron. I am aware that my 'what ifs' do not matter. Still... Poor Ana."

SWSWSWSWSW

Leon sidestepped thee knife that rushed towards his chest deflecting the other one that came around to stab him in the back. He lashed out with his right leg, hitting the Cathar square in the chest and sending the alien stumbling backwards. "Why would you threaten someone just to get to me?" Leon snapped while he jumped towards the prospective Sith, crossing blades with the alien. His vibrosword clanged loudly against the twin cortosis knives, sending sparks flying into the air as they dragged across one another.

"What, do you know the weakling?" the Cathar snarled rhetorically. He dropped one of his blades, switching his grip on it as it fell and nearly burying the blade in Leon's gut. The soldier threw himself out of its path at the last moment before rolling back to his feet.

"No," Leon said, considering his next move.

"So you are just altruistic. That's a weakness," the Cathar growled, advancing on Leon with a sneer.

"No. Attacking those weaker than you for sport is weakness," Leon growled back. He raised his blade defensively before him, yet somehow looked as if he was not going to be on the defensive. The Cathar paused, momentarily, wondering if he was going to survive this fight. His eyes glanced up at Stauen. The Cathar knew that he definitely wouldn't survive if he didn't fight, so he returned his attention to Leon and rushed forward with a throaty battle cry.

Leon watched the Cathar sprinting towards him, knives ready to tear through his flesh. He shook his head and deflected the first blade that came near him before grabbing the Cathar's other wrist and bringing the knife around to stab through the Cathar's main hand. The alien shrieked in pain, dropping his knife even as Leon delivered a heavy kick to the alien's chest. The room was silent.

The former soldier turned from his defeated enemy and walked over to the pillar which held the last lightsaber, the other few students left moving aside. Both did so out of a debt, one born from his saving of their lives. Var noticed how much it reminded him, once again, of Revan. He raised his arm as Stauen took in breath to scream in rage about... Force knew what. "And so we have our victors."

Stauen leaped over the railing, landing silently on the floor below. Leon raised his vibrosword as the Sith did, glaring at the gaze that fell on him. Stauen was a Zabrak man with brown-yellow skin. His horns twisted out of his skull at cruel angles to form a blackened crown of bone above a perpetually angry brow. Black, ceremonial tattoos crossed the Zabrak's face, obviously holding some meaning that Leon was unable to glean.

The Sith glowered at Leon with a combination of feigned disinterest and disgust for what seemed to be an eternity. The blood began to pound through Leon's skull, a relentless _thud_ constantly coursing through his mind. Then the Sith turned away. Leon felt relief, cooling and calming, run through his very bones and he let himself slack for a moment.

"Please, Lord Stauen," the Cathar begged. Leon's eyes flew open and he watched Stauen approaching the Cathar slowly. A silvery cylinder was in his right hand, ready to ignite and claim the life of the alien crawling away on the floor. There was a _snap-hiss_ and a fiery orange blade erupted into being, a stark contrast against the deep black robes hanging from Stauen's shoulders. He raised it above his head in both hands, ready to bring it down on the defenseless Cathar.

 _Snap-hiss_.

Stauen turned angrily towards the source of the noise. Leon gulped down the fear as he held the blue blade before him in both hands. His vibrosword dangled from his hip, meaningless in this fight. The eyes of all present – and conscious – were glued to the young man staring defiantly at one of the most powerful Sith Lords in the known galaxy. Stauen lowered his orange blade to his side and cocked his head sideways, glaring with hate and interest at the young soldier before him. "You are protecting this one? This failure, with whom you just fought?" the Zabrak asked.

"Well, you're the one that ordered him to kill me. And probably anyone else you didn't like in the application pool. Way I see it, my fight was always with you," Leon responded. He groaned inwardly as his voice cracked during the last sentence. He coughed and continued. "It's over. Let him go. Or... or else."

The Sith glared at the soldier, then took a single step; his path was immediately blocked by a silvery blade. Leon's eyes widened. He had not even seen Lord Var move from the upper level, nor even heard the saber ignite, yet there the man stood. Placid faced but shaking with anger. Stauen watched his peer interestedly. He thumbed the activator for his saber and the orange blade hissed away into nothingness as he placed it on his hip. "Well, I can see why you like the boy. He's just like that girl," Stauen mocked. He took a step back and glared at Leon, then at Var. "I expect we'll be doing this dance again. Soon." Leon was not sure if the Zabrak was talking to him, or to the Gray Lord trying to protect him. Then the Sith jumped to the upper level, followed quickly by Var, who had also deactivated his saber.

The Gray Lord looked down at Leon, frowning for a moment. Finally: "The eight of you, follow me." He jumped back down from the balcony and began to walk towards one end of the room. He cast a cursory glance back to make his will known to the victors, but did nothing else to make them move.

Leon, without looking at the other victorious prospectives, walked after Var silently. Leon unceremoniously and cautiously deactivated his saber before clicking it to his hip. He could feel the eyes of the other victors boring into his skull – they knew he was dangerous, though, of their thoughts on how to use Leon, the young man was unsure.

The eight of them walked in silence, plodding behind Lord Var, down a long hallway filled with dull, almost gray light. Eventually, Lord Var stopped before a door and thumbed in a code. The durasteel slid open with a hiss and the Knight moved through without another word. Leon glanced over his shoulder at the other victors, then walked in after Var.

"Your old lives are over," Var said from the darkness of the room as the rest of the students entered. Light erupted around the room, suddenly, and Leon saw Var stood, flanked on either side by four tables. Lightsaber parts, robes, armor, it was an armory. "Welcome to the true face of the Imperial Academies. This is no mere academy, no mere school for Force adepts. This is where only the greatest warriors with the greatest minds and the greatest strength will survive to lead the Empire into the future."


	13. The Final Trial

Two Months Later

Leon stared at the hilt of the training saber that sat on his open palm. As with everything else in the academy, they had told him how to make a lightsaber, but not what form it should take. The eight Councilors who had taken students encouraged their students to do what came naturally, not what came easily. Lightsabers were the weapons that had been used for millennia in the wars between Jedi, Sith, and whatever else there has ever been. The Central Academy was built upon the idea of building the greatest warrior one could be. For some students, this meant crafting unique emitter matrices, upgrading specialized power cells, and bringing into being a weapon that no one else would be able to use to the extent that its creator could. In his short time at the Academy, Leon had been exposed to the ideas of lightwhips, shield-like emitter gauntlets, twin daggers, and more. The Councilors wanted desperately to create a new, incredibly powerful warrior of the type the galaxy had yet to see.

Even when the student crafted only a normal saber, they were encouraged to develop their own style. Leon, at first, had felt like the odd one out when he saw other students using doublesabers or telekinesis to use three blades at once. Leon's hand closed around the grooves fit to his fingers and thumb, a rough black plasteel that increased the strength of his grip on the saber when he used it. The bottom of the handle had a slight bend, allowing the new Knight to switch his grip quickly and to get extra leverage on his attacks whether using a forehand or backhand grip. He had even been teaching himself dual saber techniques when he could, though what he did seemed tame compared to the incredibly specialized movements of his peers.

Leon flicked the saber into existence. Like all other crystals used to power the training sabers, which could not carve through even flesh, it was a dull gray. Leon's personal mentor, Lord Var, had told him that the color was meant to symbolize what each person saw. A gray could become a shade of black or white depending on who was looking at it, though Leon only saw gray. The same gray as the robes they had supplied him with.

The robes... Leon did not like them. They felt too loose, like a mass of cloth that was going to cause him to trip at any moment and tumble into the wrong end of a training saber. He desperately wanted to be rid of the robes, to wear the second skin of his under armor, but that had been destroyed as soon as the first trial had ended.

The young man sighed and pushed himself up to his feet, opening his hand and levitating the lightsaber an inch or two away from his outstretched palm, spinning it quickly as he did. A circular wall of gray appeared before Leon, driving his mind back yet again. Var had said he would only teach Leon the basics, and he had held true to that. How to extend his perceptions – barely – how to levitate things – barely – how to resist mind tricks – barely. Var badly wanted Leon to discover his own bounds for himself. "Though never forget that I am a resource you may always look towards," the man had told Leon a few days after taking him as an apprentice. He had placed his hand on Leon's shoulder and smiled. "It is important for you to fight, to use the Force in a way that makes you the strongest you can be. If you can survive, it will show you are learning. But if you are worried that you are not learning quickly enough, come to me and I will happily help."

Var had been pleased that Leon had even survived this far into the training, which worried him. It was obvious that the Council not only expected death amongst their students, but they were waiting for the first one to fall. Training _was_ difficult, and Leon knew that this expectation was deserved. He himself had barely survived in many cases, saved every time by his increasing skill in his own lightsaber technique. It didn't seem that anyone else used anything similar, so when he had stumbled upon this manner of dueling and blaster deflection, he had been quick to keep it to himself. For the time being, at least. It took a lot of concentration to subtly move someone's weapon while they were attacking you, and Leon was astounded he was even able to do it. Var had noticed, it was obvious, and the old man was incredibly impressed. That said much, as he hadn't even been impressed when one student learned how to use three sabers at once.

Leon growled to himself and deactivated the training saber, throwing it onto his cot. He still hadn't been allowed to see Mari, and Var had even cut off his communications with Deranis and Erea. It had been some time since Leon had felt this isolated, and it hurt how familiar it seemed. Like an ache that fit into his mind perfectly. His thoughts were interrupted by a voice from near the doorway. "Well, looks like you made it," a familiar voice said. Leon looked up at the silhouette leaning against the wall, a man in black robes with his hood obscuring his every feature. The man pushed off of the wall and took a step towards Leon.

"I was wondering when you would show up again," Leon said, narrowing his eyes at the man. He held his hand out and his training saber flew to his hand. The Black Robed Man stopped and stared at the deactivated hilt in Leon's hand. The young man clipped the weapon to his belt and sighed. "What do you want?"

"You aren't going to ask me who I am?" the visitor asked, surprised.

"Why bother, you've never answered before anyways," Leon sighed. He walked past the man and opened the door.

"Heading out to your test. The last big one?" the Black Robed Man asked.

"Yep. The last one," the former soldier said, stepping out of his room. The other man followed him out. "Why?"

Leon waited, not hearing any footsteps behind him. "Do you understand?" the man finally asked. Leon flinched, nearly in surprise. He noticed that the man's feet clacked in time with his own, a single noise that echoed down the hall. "Do you know what you've gotten yourself into?"

"Obviously not," Leon replied. He sighed and cracked his gloved knuckles. "Why? Do you plan on actually helping me for once?"

The Black Robed Man was silent. "So, no, then?" Leon asked while he continued to walk.

"I'd be careful," the man finally replied. Leon frowned, starting to get worried. "I've been watching you. You've come a long way from the dumb kid fighting with a Vong Shaper. Now you're just a stupid kid who doesn't know anything about the things he's getting himself into."

"Hey," Leon warned. He turned and glared at the faceless individual. Leon sighed and turned back to the hall, the clacking of his boots seeming to quiet with the dimming of the lights. "I already know. No one's died yet, which means..."

"They most likely expect you to kill each other," the Black Robed Man finished. "As they should."

Leon turned, horrified and angry. "How can you say that!?" he hissed. He snarled and glared at the man. "Th... Killing them – _kriff_ , any of us – is pointless. We're soldiers. They should put us in the war!"

"This place is not about making a thousand _good_ fighters, Leon. This academy is about sacrificing the potential of thousands to make just a single, _perfect_ soldier in exchange. And to create a perfect soldier, you must sacrifice great ones," the anonymous teacher told his pupil. The hood shifted from side to side; he was shaking his head. "And I don't know if you'll be that _one_."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Leon grumbled. He turned away from the hooded man and marched towards the swoop hangar. "I can handle myself."

"But can you handle whomever it is they throw at you?" the man asked. Leon ignored him. "Pity. I guess I will have to wait and see."

Leon slammed his fist onto the door controls, tired of hearing all this from the Black Robed Man. He was not going to let this... this competition change his mind. "Anyone that would kill, or betray their allies doesn't deserve power," Leon whispered to himself, assuring himself to reject this. There was no way that this is what Lord Revan would have wanted. Leon wasn't sure, but he didn't believe that Lord Var would approve either. Though... perhaps he did not know the man as well as he had hoped.

Var held himself with a quiet, deeply contained rage. Shame hung upon his shoulders like a deadly, soul crushing weight. At times, the quiet, calm man seemed a thinning, fractured mask ready to expose some maniacal killer. Perhaps that was why he sat at the center of the council, the only one capable of understanding the mania inherent in the Dark and the strenuous order of the Light. Leon more and more understood that Var was truly an Embodiment of the Gray, or at least one way it could be viewed.

Leon stopped when he saw his Master and two black-robed individuals in the room. One of them was a woman with gray skin and bored, yellow eyes that failed to communicate the presence of a soul. She had the facial structure of a model, with high cheek bones and a natural, bored smile. The other figure had a feminine body shape, but any defining features were concealed beneath a black mask with dull, red eyes.

Lord Var smiled at his apprentice. "You're late," the old man said. Var was wearing his hair in a ponytail high on his head, strands of black and gray drifting loose around his face. "Ah, no matter. This girl will be your ally for your last test. Her last one, too."

Leon frowned. Did this mean that a fight to the death was not the intended test? "And what is the test?" Leon asked with a frown.

"The two of you," the bored woman began, her voice dry and quiet, "will take this speeder across the planet's surface to an ancient Gray Nexus of the Force. There you will find a crystal cavern. When you walk through it, your energies will be cast about into space to imprint on one. A crystal connected with you through the Force. You will be a sieve through which the water of the Force flows, and the crystal is the bowl that will collect what you let go."

"How very... poetic," Var noted. He smiled nervously at his student. "But correct nonetheless. Oh, and if one of you dies on the way to the crystals, the other one shouldn't bother coming back."

Leon frowned. "You've never expected us to work together with anyone else before," he noted. He looked over at his new partner. "Though, I suppose that's better than what I expected."

Var chuckled. "Good. Now, get going," he replied. He gestured at the landspeeder. "Follow the preprogrammed route, it'll get you there as quickly as possible."

SWSWSWSWSW

"Ah, remember when that was us?" Var asked the woman at his side. "Kind of."

"I have told you a thousand times, Var. I am Vallen," the woman muttered. She looked over at the man with a bored glare. "And I remember. Ilum, I believe."

"Yeah," Var said. "Yeah, it was _karking_ freezing the entire time. Oh, the good old days, before this crazy war, assassinations, all that other stuff that we've had to deal with. Your disappearance... You had me worried back then."

Vallen ignored the comment. "So, do you believe that this boy is everything that you wanted?" she inquired. "Could you possibly have created another Revan? Or did you, yet again, fail miserably?"

"And what makes you think that girl is the creature you've wanted to create? That she could destroy another Revan?" Var asked, his jovial tone gone, replaced by cold, indignant anger. "What makes you think that this girl is the future?"

Vallen, for the first time, showed emotion. She smiled triumphantly and let her eyes settle on the speeder in the distance, the black dot ever shrinking over the horizon. "You created this same weapon once, didn't you? Think about it, Doron: what killed Theron Fel? What killed Revan?"

"Ana..."

"Well, she definitely killed Theron Fel," Vallen said with a knowing smile. "And even assuming she was the one that killed Revan as well, does that not tell you why this girl is going to kill your current student? What was Ana to Revan?"

Var shut his eyes and let his head fall to his chest. He ran a hand along his hair, trying to deal with his burning desire to break something. "A friend. A traitor..." For a moment, the Gray Lord began to doubt in the young man. Var sighed and looked up at Vallen with a sad smile. "I suppose we'll have to see, then, just who wins. Two hundred credits on Leon, Horn."

The woman sneered. "It is Darth Vallen. And make it two thousand – or are you afraid to play sabacc at the main table?"

"Ah, there she is! Okay, but only if you don't be angry when you're out two grand," Var responded. He patted his peer on her shoulder, a move that was tinged with both condescension and the vestiges of their old friendship.

"Don't be angry when you are out an apprentice," Vallen responded, the remains of who she had been hidden once again. "Doron."

"Kaireinia, neither of them are going to die," the man responded. He glanced over his shoulder at the horizon; the speeder was invisible by this point. "You don't know him like I do."

SWSWSWSWSW

Leon carefully followed the directions that the speeder's guidance system was feeding him, making his way closer and closer towards the crystal cave that Var had directed him towards. Well, Var and the master of Leon's quiet, kind of scary new friend. He glanced nervously over at her to see the unblinking red eyes of the mask fixed on him as they had been since leaving the Central Academy. "So... I'm Leon," he said. The masked woman didn't respond. Leon made a face to himself and shook his head before looking out of the speeder's viewport again. "And... you are?"

The mask hissed, re-pressurizing as if a breath that had been held in for some time had been released, but that was it. Leon nodded and and pursed his lips. _Well, this is getting weirder and weirder_ , he thought to himself. The silence – especially with whoever this was just... staring at him – was starting to make him itch. "So what's your master's name? Is she Darth Vallen?"

The mask bobbed up and down. "Oh. Okay, so you aren't one of the ones I fought then," Leon noted. He glanced over at the mask again. "Are you mute? Because you haven't said a word since I've met you, and I'm starting to worry that I'm talking to a droid.

"I'm not a droid, Leon," a distorted voice came. "This is part of my training. The darkness of those you care about never recognizing you."

"Well, sounds... like a psychotic break waiting to happen," he noted. He glanced back down at the guidance system. "We'll be there in two minutes. Three, if nothing unexpected – and why did I say that!?"

The speeder lurched and began to slow. "Of course. Of course, I said it. Of course it happened," Leon groaned. He slapped himself, both physically and mentally, then leaned back as the speeder's thrusters began to deactivate, causing the high speed transport to slow to a stop. "And we're still a good ten kilometers from where we need to be." Leon growled in exasperation and tore his crash webbing off.

"What are you doing? We should set off our signaling beacon," his partner urged, not moving from her chair.

Leon laughed and shook his head. "This was their plan," he said, still laughing. "This is to see if we can play nice under frustrating circumstances, otherwise it would be easy. Sith don't like easy, or giving up: if we signal, we lose."

The masked woman looked down, then back up at Leon. "You're probably right," she said. She undid her crash webbing and looked towards Leon with an expectant look that gazed through even the dark mask. "What first?"

"Me?" he asked. The woman nodded. He sighed. "Um... the guidance system. I'll try to take it out of the main console, and we're going to need a few power cells if I can pull it off."

"What about wild animals?" the woman asked as she moved to the back of the speeder to collect the power cells. She pulled out a hydrospanner and tossed it to Leon, who caught it in one hand and turned to work on getting the guidance system out of the speeder. "Ruusan may not be Korriban, but it has its share of predators."

"Yeah, but it's still early. If we hurry, we can make it to the cave _long_ before nightfall. We won't have to worry about any carnivores, then," he replied. He cut through the outer casing of the interface and began to carefully cut the unnecessary wires from the screen. The two worked quietly for a while. "So where you from? Big city? Rural?"

"An ecumenopolis," the woman replied. She continued to quietly take out the power cells. "You?"

"A little nowhere, really. Imperial Space, haven't gone back since... well, since my parents died," Leon said. He cut another wire. "You got any family back home?"

"No. I was adopted, so I don't even know if my parents are alive or not. And the people that raised me... they were murdered in front of me."

Leon stopped working and turned around. "Oh... I... I'm so sorry," he said. He glanced at the ground, then back up at the emotionless mask. The woman's body language told him enough, anyways. "It doesn't get better, does it?"

The woman didn't answer, instead walking towards him with three or four power cells. "Are you done yet?"

Leon smiled and yanked on the screen, tearing another unnecessary wire from the system and pulling the receiver and screen from their socket. "I was waiting on you."


	14. Knight of the Empire

Leon frowned as he looked between the wide river of lava before him and back at the guidance system's map in his hand. "This just lends more to my guess that the speeder was never supposed to get us here," he groaned. He kicked a nearby rock into the bubbling lava and the stone disappeared with a hiss. "There's no way we could have crossed this in that hunk of junk. Maybe I screwed something up with the guidance system." He flipped it over and began to examine the wiring.

"You did not make any mistake," his partner said, the voice coming out as a hiss. Leon looked up at her. She was pointing to the opening of a cavern on the other side of the river.

"Ah, Sithspit," Leon cursed. He sighed and stared at the lava. It would hurt to take a bath in that. "We have to find our way around."

The Sith shook her head. "We don't have enough time before nightfall," she pointed out. "The shadows are already too long, and I doubt this will get any easier if we wait."

Leon groaned. "Great, so we have to try and jump," he said with a sigh. He shrugged and grinned sheepishly before gesturing at the bubbling, smoking pool of molten rock and metal. "Ladies first?"

The mask glared at him. "No?" Leon asked. The figure did not respond, instead turning from him and running straight at the river. "Yes, then?" The woman tensed her legs as she approached, quickly leaping into a graceful flip and soaring high into the air. Leon watched in awe as she gracefully twirled in the air again and landed lightly on the other side of the river of molten rock.

She turned to Leon. "Are you coming?"

"Well, since it's apparently so easy," Leon mumbled. He checked the guidance system to see if the path continued further into the cave. It didn't. He tossed the useless weight to the side and began to shake his arms and legs. "Just jumping. Just jumping over... a pool of fire." He sighed and took a deep breath.

"Any slower and you would be moving backwards, Leon!" the woman shouted, earning an unamused glare from Leon.

Still, she was right. He shook his head and ran straight at the lava's edge. "I must be insane," he mumbled to himself. As his foot hit the edge, he kicked off from the ground. He clumsily flew through the air, praying he'd make it to the other side without losing a leg or arm. He felt his outstretched leg hit rock and he smiled. He was going to make it. Then he began to tip backwards and he realized he'd landed on the lip of the lava bank. He careened backwards, vainly struggling to get himself up onto the shore. As he accepted his fate, he closed his eyes. "Sorry, Mari..." He fell backwards, calm and accepting, as if his death had been a long time coming. The smell of burning flesh flowed through his nostrils.

"No!" A hand curled around Leon's wrist, causing his descent to stop with a sudden jerk as his momentum left him. He heard stone scraping against boot and he bobbed slowly. When he finally opened his eyes, he saw that his partner was clutching him with both hands to keep him from falling in to the lava. He saw a glint of metal from beneath her outstretched robe sleeve, and then the two of them tumbled to the stone ground, safe and alive. He searched himself quickly to see if he was hurt, but there was nothing. He must have imagined the smell...

Leon pushed himself up to his hands and feet, breathing heavily as he did. "I guess I, uh, misjudged that, huh?" he asked between pants.

The Sith glared at him, her breathing distorted into Vader-like gasps by her mask's speakers. "No, it was perfect," she snapped, jumping to her feet. She brushed off the dust from her black robes and cracked the knuckles on her right hand. She seemed incredibly angry. "We should keep going."

"Why are you so mad?" Leon asked. He sat still on his knees, gazing up at the woman's red eyes. "You saved me, so... we're fine. Why are you mad? Besides just being a Sith, I guess?"

She scoffed and turned away, her robes billowing out behind her as she marched quickly and angrily towards the cavern's entrance. "That looked so cool..." Leon muttered to himself. He stood up as fast as he could and turned towards the entrance to the cave as quickly as he could, only to trip on the moving cloth and fall on his face. "Why can I never be good at things?"

Leon, disappointed and sullen, stood up again and walked broodily after the Sith woman. "I just wanted my robes to billow, these _stupid_ clothes and their _stupid_ length," he growled. He kicked at the stone floor and sighed. He glanced up at the woman walking so much faster than him and sighed. He raised his voice and called out to her, "Thank you for saving me."

Her cadence slowed for a split second, and Leon was able to catch up with her. He walked beside her for a while, the two of them marching silently through the ever darkening cavern and towards a date with destiny. "So what are you planning to do when they let you leave the academy?" Leon asked. The woman turned to him, surprised.

"What do you mean, let me leave? I am allowed wherever I wish," she explained, the cold glint of her voice much softer – recognizably so even through the heavy distortions the mask created.

Leon groaned and raised his hands exasperatedly to the side of his head. He stared up at the ceiling of the cavern and shouted angrily at nothing. "What!? _Kriffing_ Var," he growled when he finished. "The guy hasn't let me so much as talk to my friends! Oh, I better get a hell of a vacation after this."

The Sith's head cocked to the side. "Oh... I see," she mumbled. The two of them walked on in silence.

"Uhm... what happened to your arm?" Leon asked as the silence grew too heavy.

The woman looked towards him, almost ready to answer. Then Leon grinned widely and pointed forward. "We're here!"

The woman turned to follow his gaze. Her knees suddenly fell weak as she saw the monumental cavern of crystals growing from every available surface. It was a rainbow, a virtual smorgasbord of colors that collided with the eye in a way that could only be described as cacophonous. Leon breathed out in elation. "Ah, too bad we can only take one," he whispered. "I'd love to get Mari somethin'."

The woman glanced over at him. "Mari?"

"Oh, just someone I know," Leon answered absently. He walked into the cavern, running around like a wild child. He jumped between what must have been every single crystal structure in the cavern. Blues. Reds. Oranges. Gray. White. Nothing felt like he should use it, nothing felt like _him_. He probably ran around the entire cavern a dozen times before he started to feel like he would never find the crystal that had bonded with him.

But then he felt it, like a whisper of the wind in the air. He turned around with wide, disbelieving eyes. He couldn't believe it, he almost _didn't_ , but there it was, sitting there and shining as if he was always supposed to find it. He leaned down with wide eyes towards the black and white crystal, running his gloved fingers across its smooth surface with the utmost care. He saw his face reflected in the crystal, darker and angrier than he hoped he would look. Still... it was perfect. Leon gingerly clutched the crystal between his forefinger and thumb before tearing it off of its structure.

With shaking hands, Leon pulled the saber hilt he had made from his hip and cautiously exposed the crystal matrix. He carefully pulled the training crystal from its housing and placed it into a pouch on his belt before replacing it with the weapon's new focusing crystal. With a simple flick of the activation switch, Leon brought his new weapon into being.

He was sure he'd never seen anything like it. The blade was a deep black, like the void of space. It crackled with faint, white stars that would appear and disappear throughout the entire length of the blade and further cemented the similarity of its appearance to that of the night sky of some rural planetoid. Curiously, this same "starlight" effect also caused the blade to give off a faint, white glow. It was almost like a faint outline of white light surrounding the black blade that was visible no matter which direction the weapon was twisted. It was a hollow star.

Leon turned and watched his new partner activate a one end of a scarlet doublesaber. She twirled the weapon around her body before activating both ends and spinning it again, letting it rest parallel to her arm. With another flourish, she deactivated the blade and clipped it to her belt. Leon grinned and did the same with his own saber.

"Well, congratulations," a voice echoed through the chamber. Leon's saber was back in his hand, ignited and ready for a fight. Darth Vallen and Lord Var walked into their apprentice's field of vision, the old man smiling and the woman's face plastered with apathy. Vallen continued to speak, though Var's apprentice did not move to deactivate his weapon. "You've made it to your last trial."

Leon's brow furrowed and he shook his head. More lies... How cruel. "So it's true? I didn't think you had it in you, Var!" he snapped. He took a step towards the man, but was thrown away. He collided with a pillar of smooth crystal and fell to the ground. His lightsaber clattered, deactivated, on the ground next to him. He glared up at Var, whose face had become cold. The man's outstretched arm was directed at his apprentice.

"You do expect us to fight to the death," Leon's partner mumbled, a hollow rage in her voice. She shook her head. "I would rather not."

"Then we kill you both," Vallen stated. Leon glared at the woman. "Fight or die, those are your options."

Leon shook with rage. "NO!" he screamed. He pulled his saber along the ground and ignited it as soon as the metal touched his hand. He stood up and, with his free hand, gripped his outer robe in one hand. He tore his hand upward, sending the cloth flying into the air. "I'd never attack an ally!"

The young man rushed towards Vallen, slashing horizontally at her head. "Do it or I will kill Marien," she said quietly. Leon stopped his blade just inches from the woman's face. Yellow eyes gazed into his. Leon lowered his blade to his side. He wouldn't... He couldn't fight this person who was going.

"Now fight!" Vallen ordered. Leon's head fell, but he still ran towards his partner. The masked woman barely ducked in time to avoid death. She rolled across the ground, eyes wide behind her mask.

"I'm so sorry that we have to do this!" Leon shouted as his partner raised his saber to block another slash from the saber. She attacked and Leon bent backwards to avoid a slash from the other direction.

The woman continued to block him. "Don't demean this with apologies," she said. She was shaking and screamed, most likely a lie: "I was going to kill you anyways!" A heavy rage erupted from his deepest depths, a hatred for the betrayal he had just suffered. A betrayal that his master had forced him to become party to. It sickened him, made him so deeply angry. Leon lowered his saber to his side and advanced on the woman, her attacks suddenly missing him. He was altering the path of her attacks with the Force, making her aim for the wrong places. He swung his black saber against the woman's doublesaber. She moved to dodge, but Leon's blow landed. The heavy attack sent the woman's saber flying across the room, inactive. Her eyes widened and she brought her fist up to land a blow. As her left fist approached, however, Leon twirled his saber.

The woman fell to her knees, gasping in pain. Sparks flew from where, once, machinery had been. Leon hard metal clunk against the ground and he raised his saber to the woman's throat. "I'm sorry," he said as he stared into the mask's angry eyes.

Vallen sighed and shook her head. She had failed, despite all of her planning. "Do you want your credits now, or would you prefer to publicly shame me?" she asked the man at her side.

Var turned, his eyes cold. "You don't understand, do you?" he asked, rage trembling in his quiet voice. He shook his head and disgust and returned his attention to the young man's saber, still trained on the red eyed mask of Vallen's apprentice.

Vallen snarled. "And what do I not understand, Doron?" she hissed. She placed her hand on the Gray Lord's shoulder and forced him to turn towards her. His eyes were filled with anger. "You won. Do not flaunt it over me in such a manner."

"I haven't won yet," Var growled back. He turned his attention to the young man who had not made a move. Var raised his voice. "Well? What are you waiting for!?"

Leon was not aware of their conversation; he had been too absorbed in the choice he now had to make. He gazed down at the sparks flying from the woman's arm, feeling cold dread filling him, quelling his rage. He looked down at the ground. "I'm sorry," he whispered quietly to himself. He slashed his saber through the air at his target.

Var's saber came up just in time to deflect the blade that had been thrown towards him. Leon summoned his saber back to his hand, a defiant look in his eyes. His saber seemed to be alive in his hand, virtually charged with white light. "I will _never_ kill an ally."

Var smiled and turned to Vallen. "I'll take my creds via public shaming," he said with a grin.

Vallen snarled. "You wanted him to defy us? No... me."

Var shook his head. "Eh, you wouldn't understand. Let's go, Leon. You passed," he said. He smiled down at the woman clutching at her broken arm. "Which means you might be ready, both of you."

Leon shook his head, sighing, and turned to the woman kneeling on the ground. She was shaking in fear, clutching at the shoulder above her prosthetic arm. "Let's get out of here," Leon finally suggested, his arm outstretched. The woman looked up at him. Her mask's wide eyes seemed, for the first time, to convey surprise rather than menace. She reached out, hand shaking for but a moment, and grabbed his hand. He pulled her up and smiled. "Sorry about the arm."

The mask fell. "I should've trusted you." the woman said, her voice tinged with self-loathing and regret.

"No, you really shouldn't have," he replied. He rubbed the back of his head and half-grimaced sheepishly. "I barely made the right choice."

"How come whenever you save me, it costs me an arm?" she asked, her eyes fixed on the ground still. She put her good hand up and unlatched the mask. Leon's eyes widened as the woman tore off her disguise and brought him into a tight hug with her remaining arm.

He stood still in shock for a while, not sure what was going on. He had been so worried about her that he couldn't notice what was obvious? After a moment, though, he pushed that thought away and let his weaponless hand rise to her shoulder so he could hug her close, too. His black saber, marking him as a Knight of the Empire, crackled with white embers. "It's been too long, Mari."


	15. Predications of Betrayal

**AN: Hey everybody! Hope you're all enjoying the story so far! Please, leave reviews, suggestions, and critiques. Sometimes when I'm stuck, the right idea from you guys is just what I need to organically connect A and B!**

 **On another note, I can't believe it's been a month since I published the last chapter of Second Revanfall and almost a month since publishing chapter 1 of this one. Wow, time flies!**

Vallen was silent as she considered her peer's argument. "Well?" the man finally asked, growing impatient with the woman's silent, bored stare. He could almost swear that she only did it to anger him; though to be fair he had angered her plenty with his stunt during the final trial of their two students. It had taken all the charisma and appeasement that Var could come up with to merely keep the Sith Lady from killing him on the speeder ride back to the Academy, then even more just to get her to listen to him. So, maybe, just maybe, he deserved the minor annoyance of waiting on the woman's answer.

"You would put much on this boy," Vallen finally responded, her words coming ponderously, heavy with thought even still. She lowered her hand from her chin and began to chew the inside of her cheek, thinking out her next words carefully. "Doron, I am afraid my faith in his dreams. Or visions -" she said, cutting off Var's protests before they began. "Or visions. My faith in their veracity is not the same as yours."

"Why?" the man asked, rubbing his temple with his index and middle fingers. What was it that she could not understand? "I have already told you that he knows things. Things that no one but one seeing through the Force could know."

"Does it?" the woman retorted, frowning. "Var, you are trying to create another Revan. We both know what attention doing so will draw."

Var sneered as his thoughts followed hers. "Yes, well, the so-called 'Emperor' and his desires do not concern me," he growled darkly. He narrowed his eyes and turned from Darth Vallen. "Revan had power, true power. You've heard the rumors, haven't you? There is a reason that almost none of the higher up Sith from the earliest days of Revan's takeover are still alive. What could it be?"

Vallen laughed derisively. "The Foundry? You're still chasing that rumor, hm?" she asked, sneering at the man. She stopped as she saw he was deathly serious. "Oh... you are."

"It's real," the Gray Lord insisted simply. His voice was full of such determination, such conviction, that Vallen almost believed it as well.

The Sith lady sighed and placed her hand on her old friend's shoulder. "Doron, it can't be real. Revan was incredibly powerful, I'll admit that, but he was also very smart. He came into his own as a General very quickly, and as a figurehead even more quickly. Spreading those rumors did just as much to solidify his position as the Dark Lord of the Sith as killing Nihl did. There is no way he could have created a machine that... that could craft entire fleets in days without the entire Empire knowing – hell, without even the Triumvirates, slow as they are, knowing."

Doron Var was silent at that. "I have to believe that we can find a way to wrest control from him," he finally mumbled.

Vallen nodded, understanding where he was coming from. "Nernyn is dangerous. Unbalanced, I agree. Stauen's ever burning desire to kiss his ass is more than enough evidence for that. But that's just it – he's imbalanced. He couldn't control a weapon like that," Vallen said, comforting her friend for just a moment. "Besides, he's a fool. He will give us the opportunity we have been waiting for, and it will be very soon. Don't doubt that."

"Even so, do think that this boy is the right path towards that revenge?" Vallen continued, the wall of cold, Dark logic built up once again. She clenched her fists at her side. "If we assume his visions are real, that he has seen Revan, could that not be a warning?"

Var snorted in incredulity. "What!?" he asked, barely containing his derisive laughter. "Revan was the most powerful Force user in the galaxy. Leon's power alone should tell us he is the one, and that he sees Revan shows we should not doubt him."

"I think it means that doubting your apprentice is exactly what we should do," Vallen replied darkly. She shook her head at Var and growled, "Revan was killed by his apprentice – I know you believe it as well, despite your attempts to fool yourself into thinking that no one would betray the Emperor. Nernyn killed Darth Revan... does that not mean the Force chose his way over Revan's?"

"Then why even bother?" Var snapped. The two stood silently, glaring at each other. Var sighed and ran a hand through his long, unkempt hair. "If the Force chose Nernyn over Revan, what hope would we have at all?"

"The Force is tipping ever further into the darkness," Vallen said with a grim smile. "You can feel it – the shadows growing across the galaxy. Chaotic. Things are awakening – you've seen the reports of Leviathans, Terentateks... The Dark Side's power embraces change, and even Nernyn cannot evolve quickly enough for the Darkness."

Var opened his mouth to respond, then froze. He and Vallen glanced at each other as a shudder ran through the air. It was cold, powerful. The very roots of Ruusan, of the galaxy, shook. "He's seen something," Var whispered triumphantly, and even Vallen had to admit she believed it as well.

SWSWSWSWSW

Revan's hand traced across the command surface of the massive station slowly, carefully considering what he was about to do. Gears and electronics whirred in the air around him, the entirely droid-based crew working hard to complete the installation of the Foundry's systems into the station. Energy crackled from Revan's fingers, arcing through the air and into the interface. It was beckoning to him, begging him to use it.

It was dangerous. Revan could easily see that. He had found files buried deep within the Mask's memory referencing events that had surrounded the Foundry and its similar systems. A cataclysm that wiped the Force away from an entire species and nearly brought them to the edge of extinction. The Foundry fed on Darkness, and the more Darkness one fed it the more it would wish to gorge. Already it desired more than Revan would give; he had taken a long break from using it, letting it settle back into sleep. For now, it again desired little of his pain and rage, though given what he was going to create, Revan might take another few months to let it settle once again.

He took his hands away from the computer. It was hard to believe that this had all started on Kashyyyk so long ago, almost an eternity and definitely a life time ago. He returned his hands to the interface and began to channel white lightning from his outstretched palms, the energy flowing into the Foundry's systems, awakening the creaking, hissing cyclops that would soon forge new, masterful weapons of war.

Revan had long ago ordered his research divisions to find the specifications for the machine that he wished to build. All of them, dedicated to a single part of the problem so that none could see what the actual machine was, though he had little doubt that one or two of his scientists were clever enough to figure it out for themselves. As long as they didn't make any trouble, he wouldn't have to do anything about that; killing them would be too expensive to the cause of his Empire, though not killing them would reveal the terrible secret of what he was trying to create. He closed his hands, causing the Foundry to whine as its machinery began to draw in pure Force energy and transform it into matter. The Darkness he had given it was nothing, merely something designed to whet the monstrosity's appetite.

Revan sighed and turned away from the machine's systems. He had told his apprentice of the machine, though had so far kept the location a secret from the fool. Revan could not trust his foolish apprentice to control his darker impulses; the Foundry would be fed until it unleashed, once again, a plague that would destroy the Empire and the entire galaxy would be thrown into chaos. Easy pickings for the Rakata upon their return, and Revan would not have that.

Revan looked over at the machine as it was printed into being from the nothingness of everything. He would take any road to ensure he survived to face the Rakata, no matter what Darkness it unleashed.

SWSWSWSWSW

Leon couldn't help but smile, despite the less than ideal circumstances. Despite everything – specifically personally cutting off Mari's arm and nearly killing her as part of some vague, weird test to make sure he wouldn't – he could not help but just... smile. He was with his crew for the first time in months, albeit in a medbay waiting for Mari's new prosthetic to be installed. "I was beginning to worry you'd abandoned us to a life of sitting around and waiting," Deranis grunted from the wall. He was wearing thin combat robes, the type that Echani used for their insane live-fire training purproses. "Battle strengthens warriors, peace degrades them."

"Sorry, we were too busy being told to kill each other," Mari retorted. Her red eyes were crinkled with annoyance.

"Eh, you were never in trouble," Deranis grunted. Leon glanced over, questioning. Deranis sighed and responded with "I've seen Leon fight – he trusts those that he surrounds himself with. Implicitly. He wasn't going to kill anyone if they were just ordered to kill him."

"Oh, you didn't see him _cut off my arm!_ " Mari snapped.

Leon began to laugh, entirely entertained by her response. "Hey, they threatened the you I thought existed. The girl in the hospital!"

"You couldn't tell it was her?" Erea asked. She snorted derisively. "I saw her walk by once and I knew immediately."

"Eh, it's fine. He's not always the smartest guy, as we've seen," Mari jabbed, drawing a "wounded" look from her fellow Knight.

"Again, can we blame Vallen and Var for being such _Schuttas_?" Leon suggested.

"Well, I'm game," Var's voice came.

Leon nodded to himself, not even surprised. "Of. Course," he muttered to himself. He turned around and bowed slightly. "Master." He glanced at Darth Vallen. "Lady Vallen."

"Master," Mari bowed from the hospital bed. "What is it you need?"

Var glanced between the people in the room, then turned around and locked the entrance to the room. "There are no listening devices in this room," the Gray Lord explained as the door hissed shut and its magnetic locks engaged. "Until your new arm gets here, we are all alone here."

Vallen turned to the young man, who was glaring at her with one hand on his saber. "We're not here to hurt anyone," she said. She waved her arm and Leon's saber was suddenly in her hand. She tossed it to the side, bored. "If I was one to unleash my anger on a whim, you would already be dead."

Var held his hand up and Vallen quieted down, though not before flashing a dirty look at him for how he took the room. "So... how are you both enjoying your newfound position?"

"As what? Hospital patient and another guy in gray robes?" Leon asked. He smirked at the unamused expression on his master's face. "No, It's been great. I've already made friends, such as the – oh, what'd he call himself? – the 'most powerful, handsome, intimidating' Darth Stauen? That guy is... confident."

"And a fool," Vallen snarled, not even bothering to try and disguise the utter contempt in her voice. She and Stauen rarely agreed, to the extent that every meeting between the two was a lightsaber duel waiting to happen. "You would do well to avoid company with that man, as stupid tends to infect who spend too much time with it. He is a man utterly without vision."

"What do you mean?" Leon asked. He leaned off of the wall. "He obviously wants power."

Var laughed jovially. "Yes, and he'd do nothing with it," he replied. He sighed. "That's not the point, though."

"What is then?" Erea asked. She was glaring at the two Force users, not entirely sure whom to trust. "What does this incredibly fragile Council, who all seem to want to betray each other, want with us?"

Var narrowed his eyes at Erea for a moment, studying her. She fidgeted uncomfortably under his gaze and one of his eyebrows drifted up. He smiled. "My dear, we're here for nothing more than to find out exactly what it is Leon saw."

The Knight tensed up as he heard this, his hands were open, but stiff at his sides. "What do you mean?" Mari asked. She glanced between the Councilors and Leon. "During the Trial, because I was there, too."

Vallen shook her head. "No, my... apprentice," the Sith replied, excising a demeaning adjective for the sake of Var. "Your friend is party to a great many secrets of power, young Apprentice. Secrets that we need."

"Secrets of power?" Deranis asked. He laughed incredulously. "You already have the greatest military force in the galaxy – _kriff_ , you're about to rule the galaxy!"

Vallen frowned and Var glanced at the ground uncomfortably. "Or... we don't," Leon whispered. He laughed. "Oh, Force... we're losing, aren't we?"

Var sighed and shook his head. "N-no," he replied. The man raised his arms impotently, groaning, then just dropped them to his side. "We are at an impasse. Without Revan, we have slipped away little by little. He was the core of our moral argument and one of few who could match Admiral Taas' military strategy in mass organization. His death gutted the Empire by making us less intimidating and less... 'good.'"

"So you're looking for this Foundry, then?" Leon asked hollowly. He was breathing heavily, trying to come to grips with the reality that what his parents had helped to build, what they had _believed in_ with everything they had, was dying. "He didn't trust Nernyn with it, so... I think maybe we should respect that."

Vallen stared into the eyes of the young man before her. "Then the Empire dies, the Triumvirate is the one that kills it, and everything Revan built ever so carefully dies alongside whatever memory of the Fels remains," she said, voice cold. "And the stagnation, the empty, hollow peace that results... it will destroy the galaxy. And every moment that results, the loss of any kind of order that this galaxy needs to evolve, to grow, is on you. So, either grow up and realize that this is a different scenario. The Empire is not Revan's Empire. Not anymore. Nor is it Nernyn's. At this moment, the Force told _you_ about the Foundry."

Vallen stepped towards the newly minted Knight, steely, angry eyes burning into his own. "At this moment, on this day, in this galaxy, this Empire is not Revan's Empire that was crafted from the burning ashes of his dead mother's corpse. This is _your_ Empire and what you do, here and now, shows me what kind of Emperor you are."

Leon stared with wide eyes at the woman. "Well, you're awfully terrifying and... convincing," Leon said hoarsely. He glanced at Var and smiled triumphantly. "We're gonna need a ship, and I think we all know _just_ the one." He glanced between Mari, Erea, Deranis, and the Councilors with a wide, goofy grin.

SWSWSWSWSW

"I wouldn't have pegged you as the kind of guy to wear 'imitation Jedi,'" Mari mocked when Leon walked in. He was wearing a long, gray coat held closed by double-breasted buttons in military fashion. One corner hung down, buttoned to the right side of his chest to form a folded triangle. A pair of black belts crisscrossed his waist so that four pouches hung at his waist with his lightsaber resting from a silver carabiner on his right hip. The coat ran down the length of his legs, stopping at the top edge of his black boots that were hidden beneath washed-black pants. Beneath the jacket was a simple, silvery-gray shirt. Underneath all of that, though, he was still encased in the comfort of his second skin; the mag-locking under armor was just too useful to get rid of. All of it together gave him a powerful, but messy kind of air. A wildcard.

"Hm... and you're supposed to be... what, a dominatrix?" he asked. The Sith apprentice shot him a sidelong look. She was wearing lot of black. Tight, yet flexible stuff. Her clothes were mostly a rubberized material that gave off a slight sheen in the light. Her boots were a deep blue, almost black. Her jacket was leather and hung over her robotic prosthetic, though her rubberized, black-blue shirt was cut off just before the prosthetic connected. On the right, the shirt hung down to her wrist. Every layer was coated in a thin, nano-fiber material that could dispel some energy from blaster weapons and gave the clothes their rubberized sheen. "Oh, no, just an obvious undercover Sith."

Deranis shook his head as he walked up the ramp into the Crimson Eagle, carrying a huge crate of weapons. He had refused to disguise himself; he was still wearing the white, intricate armor he had been wearing on Coruscant. "You'll want the galaxy knowing you have me on your side if we're going to sell this whole 'mercenary thing,'" he had told them as he had tossed away the disguises he had been offered. "Besides – this armor and I have promises to fulfill..."

Erea walked down the ramp, past Deranis. "Hey, Nerf Herders! Time to get going!" she shouted down at them. She was wearing mismatched and assorted armor, making her look like the merc or bodyguard that their cover warranted. She wore a brown jacket over the armor, hiding its specs enough to convince anyone she was a disgruntled mercenary who wanted to hide her strengths. Her two blasters were strapped under either arm in a shoulder holster. "Kashyyyk can wait forever, but I sure as _kark_ won't!"


	16. Journey's Beginning

Leon frowned at his image in the refresher mirror, wearing only his under armor. His clothes hung from the door, contrasting sharply against the steam from the shower that had wafted into the enclosed space around him. He couldn't believe that, in times of war, people would abandon and betray their people and their government for the life of a mercenary. It was sickening, and rare – overall. But still, the numbers were large enough that another two traitor Sith wouldn't be noticed starting a small band of mercenaries. That they had the aid of famed Coruscanti Echani warrior, Deranis, would give them instant credibility and authority with both sides of the war, as well as with any other groups who would like to have their own personal Sith hounds for a short term strike.

It disgusted Leon, the idea of aiding the enemies of the Empire, but he was also sure that the Council would have been directing the Triumviracy towards false targets, or traitorous commanders. Or, at the very least he hoped for such a possibility. Hearing that the Empire was stuck at a virtual impasse due to Revan's death and the... less than ideal leadership of Darth Nernyn was a serious blow to his own morale.

His thoughts of gloom were interrupted, however, by a pounding on the wall. "Oh, fearless leader, the ship's setting down," Erea's voice came from the other side of the locked durasteel door. "Get out here!"

Leon sighed and grabbed his shirt. "I'm on my way," he replied before pulling the cloth over his head. He pulled his pants up next and strapped his boots. With a wave of his hand, he used the Force to comb his lengthening mane into a more manageable style. He stared at the image looking back at him with a frown.

Revan. So many connections with the man, and none of them made any sense. Visions, the ship... Hell, Mari's first words to Leon had been asking him if the two of them were related! Looking at his own reflection, he had to admit that his resemblance to the rumors surrounding Revan's face behind the mask was uncanny – or it would be if the gray eyes and brown-black hair atop his head was not common amongst any number of social strata within Imperial space. Besides, he somehow doubted Revan had the same nose as him.

Leon pulled his coat over his shoulder and set about buttoning the jacket one at a time before pulling on a pair of fingerless combat gloves. His lightsaber's weight hung from his right hip, a constant reminder of the power he now commanded. He turned towards the door and stepped out.

Kashyyyk was a world of towering forest, with trees as old – older, even – than the indigenous Wookiees themselves. In the centuries since the end of the war between Palpatine's Empire and the Rebel Alliance, the Wookiees had become a major technological power in the galaxy, leading designs of some of the newest, best starship tech in the galaxy along with scouting new hyperspace routes. Both were incredibly useful for the war effort, though not for the Empire. The Wookiees, despite some misgivings on the part of Senator Sirrakuk, remained firmly entrenched on the side of the Triumviracy. The governments worked well together, with the Wookiees having enjoyed centuries of prosperity due to their alliances with the Triumvirate and the Alliance before it, and the Triumvirate becoming privy to information and hyperspace lanes that the Empire had never seen, enacting ambushes that the Empire wasn't prepared for. Leon had a feeling that Revan had destroyed that sun to prevent an ambush... and further use of the lanes discovered by the thriving Wookiee Scouting business.

Due to its prosperous nature, however, crime and corruption on the once isolated planet had skyrocketed. The Triumvirate, soon after the war had begun, had started to make the companies more public. Government owned. This caused the corrupted to grow, unabated, and continually drove more and more of the Wookiee population towards supporting the Empire, though their gratitude for the end of the enslavement of their species was too great to enact a swift break with the Triumvirate.

That corruption, in fact, was the reason that their cover was created as it was. By introducing themselves with a successful sale of their skills to a high level Triumvirate operative scheming against his or her allies, they could not only deal damage to the enemy war effort but also establish a name for their small band of warriors. This would, of course, also give them unfettered access to most of the planet.

As Leon walked down the ramp of the Eagle, he frowned as a wave of deja vu ran through his head. It passed quickly, however, as he reached the bottom of the walkway and was confronted by a weary looking Twi'lek. "Hello, first time visitor?" the woman asked Leon, frowning at him and placing her hands on her hips.

"Yes," Leon replied, frowning. He knew where this was going to go. He raised his hand and furrowed his brow for a moment. "We don't need to pay a docking fee. We can go about our business, and you'll be happy to help whenever we need you."

The Twi'lek woman's stare went blank for a moment, but she quickly recovered. She glanced down at her datapad and scoffed. "Huh, it seems you've already paid the docking fee," she said. She sighed and looked back up at Leon. "Sorry if I seemed angry – it's been a long day. I'll be refueling your ship, so just holler if you need anything." The woman turned away and walked off to boss the two arguing gonk droids nearby.

"Why would you do that?" Erea asked from Leon's left shoulder. He turned to her, one eyebrow raised. She had her hands on her hips and she was staring down on him, despite the fact that he was taller than her. "You should have just paid her, not overridden her free will like that!"

"Oh, come on, he had to establish that we were mercenaries," Deranis explained, as if Erea were overlooking the obvious. Leon glanced over at the white haired man, whose steely eyes were calmly staring down at the redhead. "If he didn't, it would look like we were soft. Then where would we be?"

"We also don't have the money to pay," Leon pointed out with a frown. "We're 'broke deserters' after all. I'd prefer not to do it, either, Erea, but we work with what we have. After we get paid,I'll make sure to pay her back." He looked around and sighed. "Look, we need to find out if anyone worked here when Revan landed three years ago, get any info we can out of them. Erea, you ask around about that. Mari, keep an eye on the ship and ask around, too. Deranis and I will go and meet the 'client' in the Cantina."

The group hesitated for a moment, then went off to do as they were told. Deranis laughed amusedly next to Leon. "Like I said before – they follow you, Sith," the Echani stated. "And I'll follow you – lead on."

Leon nodded and began walking towards the Cantina. "So... how does a half-Echani end up working for a Hutt on Coruscant?" Leon asked as they ducked around a pair of Wookiees carrying a freighter turbolaser over their shoulders. "You didn't seem particularly excited to be there."

The Echani laughed, the movement causing his heavy blaster to jostle and jump on his back, clacking against his armor. "An understatement if I've ever heard one, Sith," the Echani replied between his laughs. "Ah, Jool... She was the least criminal of the gangsters in the area. Had a code of honor... and besides, I owed her. That's about all it came down to."

"What for?" Leon inquired as he opened the door to the cantina. He motioned for the Echani to go in before him then walked in after him.

The Echani was quiet. "I'd rather not," he finally said as he neared the bar. "Looks like he's not here yet. Want a drink?"

"Tarisian Ale," Leon said before sitting down at the table set aside for meeting the client. Deranis nodded and walked off.

"Well, you didn't kill her," a familiar voice said. Leon groaned quietly as the Man in the Black Robe snaked into the seat across from him. The shadows still concealed the man's laughing gaze. "I would've."

Leon shook his head. "Who?" he asked. The black cloak's head cocked to the side, as if saying that Leon already knew. "Marien? Yeah, so?"

"Be careful around her," the man suggested darkly. Two black hands made their way onto the table top, clasped together. "She is your most dangerous enemy."

"She's my closest friend," Leon hissed in retort.

The black robed man scoffed. "Exactly. Revan lived and died by that knowledge. Revan was destroyed by 'friendship.' You must survive, and 'friends' will only lead to your death." The man moved to slam his fist onto the table, but stopped a fraction of an inch above the table.

"Why are you so interested in my survival, hm?' Leon responded, scowling at the man across the table. "Why are you following me everywhere that I _kriffing_ go? It's weird... and it means you want something from me. What?!"

The black abyss of the man's face stared, silently, at Leon. "You're right. Nothing comes without a price," the man responded. There was almost an audible smile in his reply. "And, perhaps, you'll know what I want of you one day. Or maybe you will die before you fulfill your function. Trusting that Chiss only makes it more likely that the latter is true... For now, there is a password you need to know. These coordinates are important, so don't forget them."

Leon sighed and pulled up his personal datapad, tapping in the locations and saving the information. "Fine. Anything else?" he asked. He looked up and shook his head – the man was gone.

"Who you talking to?" Deranis asked as he sat down. He placed Leon's Tarisian Ale on the table and brought his own drink to his lips. He pulled it down a moment later, froth covering his upper lip. Leon shrugged and shook his head. "Hm... how about you? How did you end up in the Sith military?"

"Mom was a Stormtrooper trainer on our home planet. Dad was an Imperial Clerk. War broke out, Mom died. Joined to honor her, get revenge. Dad died too," Leon explained hollowly, going through the motions of it. It was an old story: so many had told it and even more had heard it. "Everyone I know seems to end up dead, actually."

"Such is the mark of a warrior," the Echani said. He studied Leon silently, placing his drink on the table. After a long pause: "My father died in battle long ago."

"Well, I hope that you two are better at fighting than he was," a voice with a slightly Coruscanti accent said from above, eliciting a rage-filled snarl from Deranis. Leon held his hand out and shook his head before turning up to the Mirialan woman above. "Though, from your reputation, Echani, I am sure that you are." She smiled slightly, a condescending look, and held her hand out to Leon. "Tara Lorso. Triumvirate Czerka Overseer."

SWSWSWSWSW

Admiral Taas sighed as the group of advisers around him continued to talk. "What's the matter, Admiral?" the closest one asked, stopping the conversation.

"What are we even talking about?" Van asked, his voice a growl. One of his advisers began to speak, but he held up his hand. His cane squeaked against the floor. "I know what you were talking about. That's not the point, because it wasn't important. You've all been dancing around the real topic for months, and no one will answer me anything. The Triumvirate won't _kriffing_ respond to any questions I have about the disappearance of the Sith, nor of the ship they used to escape. Nope, they won't tell me anything. Not a single thing about one of the most important events in the recent war. So, since I can't go to _them_ , _you_ will tell _me_ of all the rumors, conjecture, and whispers you have been able to gather since the Sith disappeared, then you will tell me how close our techs are to decrypting the data. That's an order."

The officers glanced between each other nervously. "Sir," the bravest one finally began, "we were all given strict orders from the Triumvirs to withhold any information on that event for the foreseeable future. We each knew something small, I believe, and they don't want that whole picture leaking. Sir."

Van glared at the soldiers before him. He thought about bashing each of their skulls in with his cane. Well, maybe not killing them – but the idea of smacking them around definitely appealed to him. Fortunately, just as he began to raised his cane into the air, his underlings were saved by a loud beeping coming from the Admiral's personal communicator. He sighed and smiled wearily. "Leave. I have important business to attend to," he told the soldiers who had just been saved from his ire by Ana Gann's well-timed call. The soldiers nodded and saluted before filing out of Admiral Taas' office. The Admiral waited until the last of the orange and gray clad men and women disappeared through the door, which slid shut with a quiet hiss, then hobbled over to his desk.

He tapped the accept code for the incoming call, making sure to input the code that kept any information on the line from being tracked – by friend or foe. "Ana," Van sighed happily as he eased into his seat. He groaned and massaged his bad leg for a moment before looking up at her face. She had one eyebrow raised worriedly. "Oh, I've just been locked out of any information on the escaping Sith and the drive. For being Grand Admiral, the Triumvirs don't trust me much, hm?"

Ana laughed dryly. "Well, would you trust you?" she asked, smiling. "I distinctly remember you saying something along the lines of, 'Who would be stupid enough to make me Grand Admiral?'"

"Oh, nice, twisting my words," the officer huffed. He leaned back into his desk chair, fidgeting. A spasm ran down his bad leg, bringing a grunt of discomfort from his throat. "You haven't called in a while. What's going on?"

"Ah, I was busy. I barely had time to report to the Triumvirs on what those Sith were doing before getting thrown to the next thing. And whereas you can only worry about me, they can put the shutdown on any ops I'm running," Ana responded with a smile. She lowered her voice and stopped smiling. "I don't have a lot of time, but know that I'm going to tell you as much as I can... but you can't tell anyone else. Triumvirate wouldn't even like me telling _you_."

Van looked down at his desk, then back up at the holographic face. "Thank you," he said somberly, his eyes steeled.

"There's not much, mostly... junk. But the Jedi you sent, he reported the ship as being..."

"What?" Van asked, wondering why Ana was biting her lip. Stopping herself.

"Van, the Sith escaped in the Crimson Eagle," Ana finally said.

The Admiral straightened in his seat, his brow furrowed and frowning. He was serious, pushing down any emotional reaction. "The Eagle? Well, I knew it was only a matter of time before it showed up again. Queen Jool was the one who stole it from its hangar bay, then?"

Ana nodded after a moment of studying Van's response. "Yeah. I don't have too much other information I can give away without endangering the agent, but I don't doubt you can find the Sith with just that." the woman glanced over her shoulder and sighed. "Gotta go." Then the line was cut.

Van frowned and shut his eyes. The Eagle. "The past doesn't die, does it?" he sighed to himself. He pushed himself upright and placed his finger on the communcator for his secretary. "Deirdre, can you get me the sub-commander of intelligence and... get me the head of the gang the Sith stole from in the mid-levels. We should have him in custody."

"Yes sir," the Twi'lek woman – also the Admiral's bodyguard – said from the other end of the line.

Van leaned, weary and pained, back into his seat and felt another jolt run down his bad leg. "The past just doesn't die," he remarked as the pain faded. He gripped his thigh and waited for the next jolt of pain. "No matter how far you bury it."

SWSWSWSWSW

Leon frowned as he and Deranis approached the ship, where Mari and Erea waited for them. The Knight shook his head and sighed. "I hope you two have good news," he said, letting his hands fall to his side.

Mari shook her head. "Everyone I asked who was here back then just blanked out when the question was asked. This wasn't just the passage of time, either – it was a mind-trick," Mari said.

"Same with everyone I asked," Erea said, frowning. "I don't think Revan wanted to be followed."

"Well, it's up to us to find out where he went, and I'm betting either our client or our target – maybe both – has a clue of where we should head," Deranis piped up, turning to Leon. "We can steal whatever we need in the Aratech datacenters while on the job."

"Which is?" Erea asked.

Leon sighed. "That's what I'm not happy about," he said with a sigh. He glanced between Mari and Erea. "We're kidnapping someone."


	17. The Aratech Job

**AN: Hey everyone, sorry it's been so long. It's been a crazy few weeks. Finals, out of country, flight home.**

 **If anyone is annoyed at the political stuff, don't worry. You have to remember, from Leon's point of view right now, the Empire can do no wrong. He's going to find that, really, neither side is all that perfect, especially since Revan died and stopped guiding the Empire. Of course, he himself wasn't a very moral leader sometimes, as we found out. The whole "gray" thing applies to more than just the Force. And besides, there won't be any of it after this short section of story, it's just meant to provide the barest outline of the divide between values in Nernyn's Empire and those in the Triumvirate.**

Aratech's facilities on Kashyyyk were huge, the metallic infrastructure spanning the entire core of a single, hollowed out, millennia old Wroshyr tree. If they found any information on the location of whatever it was Revan had searched for so long ago, Leon was sure that they could use any one of the corporate trees to get to whichever level of Kashyyyk the Sith Lord had found himself on just a few short years earlier. In the meantime, though, the group of four was entirely preoccupied with kidnapping someone in one of the deepest rooms of Aratech's base. "But why would a _government_ Czerka employee be interested in corporate espionage?" Erea asked as the group neared the insertion point to the tree. "The Triumvirate put people like her in charge of companies that threatened to flee Triumvirate space in order to prevent tech from going to the Empire and to foster cooperation between companies."

"Obviously, like most things the Triumvirate does, it doesn't work at all in practice," Leon said dryly as he pulled his lightsaber out. The group was a few levels below where they had landed, the light of the sun above barely visible through the branches and leaves criscrossing above them. When the young man's saber erupted into being, it gave off a surprising amount more light than he had expected. The white of the saber's outline cast an eerie glow throughout the shaded area, casting formless and ever changing shadows into the darkness beyond. Mari followed suit a half-second later, the crimson of her blade bathing the world in a bloody glow. Her skin was a deep purple in the burnt light, Leon noted, though he quickly shoved the thought from his mind. "Hopefully that same incompetence extends to the defense installations they have installed in their tech development labs."

Leon then angled his saber perpendicular to the trunk of the tree and stabbed forward, piercing the bark exterior and metal interior of the factory. The sabers hissed as they melted through the twin layers, filling the air with the twin scents of burning organics and slagged durasteel. Leon brought his saber around in a semi-circle clockwise, his black blade eventually cutting through the starting point of Mari's own saber path. A large circle of fused metal and wood was soon formed, and the two lightsabers hissed into nonexistence at their owners' sides.

Leon glanced at each of the others in turn, receiving a nod of readiness from each. Then the young Knight turned back to the outline in the wall and reached out with his left hand, whipping it back and throwing the fragment of the wall deep into the Shadowlands. The metal slag crashed through branches, snapping centuries old twigs and arms away before settling to rest on branches far below. Leon walked forward slowly, lightsaber still in hand, and jumped forward into the darkness.

He fell for a while, easing his landing with the Force and turning what would have been a resounding pound into a quiet thud. Leon eased himself up to a standing position and raised his wrist to his face. There was a quiet beep and he said, "Looks like a twenty, maybe thirty foot drop," he whispered. In response, he heard three _spring_ noises and as many grappling hooks extended to the next floor's ceiling, allowing the other three members of the crew to slowly drop down to meet him. "Erea, where to?"

The woman brought up a holo-map given to them by their Czerka contact. "Let's see... we're here, so the data center is about forty floors up. Lifts are over there... _Kriff._ The room with the target is twenty-two floors down."

Leon shook his head and sighed. "Okay... Deranis, you and Mari head downstairs and secure the Czerka target. Erea and I will meet up with you after we've scoured the records from two years ago," he said as he activated his lightsaber. "Call us if you need us."

Mari glanced over at Deranis, then back at Leon before nodding. As the group reached the lifts, Mari and Deranis separated and headed down, leaving Erea and Leon to head upwards. As the lift approached from the lowest levels of the tree station, Leon felt the tension grow. Finally, "Commander."

"Colonel," the red head replied, referring to the rank bestowed upon the Knight for completing his training. She looked over at him. "What's wrong?"

"I was about to ask the same. We haven't had a chance to talk since we left Coruscant," Leon replied. He held his saber in front of him as the lift approached, raising it defensively as the doors opened, preparing for blaster fire and resistance. Instead, the lift was empty. He lowered his saber and gestured for Erea to enter before him. "Is something wrong?"

"I don't know," the woman replied as she holstered her blasters, though she kept the straps open and ready to quickly draw the twin weapons. She shrugged. "You seem different."

Leon laughed lightly. "Good or bad?" he inquired.

The woman's response did not come immediately. Eventually: "Leon, what do you think Var and Vallen want with the Foundry?" she asked. When Leon didn't immediately respond, she turned to see him staring at the floor of the turbolift.

"What does anyone want with a weapon of unimaginable power during a war?" Leon asked dryly. He shrugged and looked up at the door of the lift. His lightsaber made a throbbing, humming noise as it moved slightly with his swaying arm. "They want to win."

"And do they – do you – really think Nernyn is the best way to win? That the Empire is?" she asked.

Leon frowned and looked over at her. "Well, Commander," he began, "if I didn't know better, I'd say that was treasonous talk."

"Just answer the damn question," Erea replied, arms crossed impatiently.

Leon looked away from her and frowned even deeper. "I don't know if Nernyn is the best way to win the war," he said. "But the Empire? I'd put all my faith in what Revan built."

Erea nodded silently and the lift reached its destination. The two exited the lift and crept through the dimly lit complex. "Down the hall, last on the left," Erea told Leon in a hurried whisper as the two dodged another guard patrol. Leon nodded and walked slowly down the hall and tapping the opening button for the doors.

He frowned when a chill ran down his spine as he and Erea entered the pitch dark data center of the Aratech facility. His eyes widened and he deflected a red bolt of energy that made its way towards his partner's head, sending the blaster bolt flying away into the darkness. For a moment, the energy illuminated the features of a trio of blaster carrying soldiers. Leon raised his saber carefully in front of him and prepared for battle. "Erea, find the data we need. I'll take care of these three."

He froze as the room was suddenly illuminated in green. Leon turned to the smirking Twi'lek Jedi to his left and furrowed his brow. This would be tougher than he'd thought. "Eh, what's one more? Welcome to the party."

Leon immediately jumped at the Jedi, deflecting red blaster bolts as he went. The red energy flew through the air back at their origins, with the troopers rolling off to the side to avoid the scattered blasts. "So what's a Jedi doing guarding the databanks for Aratech's Kashyyyk division?" Leon asked as his saber met with the Jedi's, illuminating the server room in brilliant light. The stacks of ultra-compressed data cast tall shadows around the room as the battle continued.

"Same thing a former Sith is, I'd guess," the Twi'lek responded as he tried to elbow Leon in the face. The Knight ducked out of the way and disappeared with deactivated lightsaber into the data stacks to guard Erea while she worked. "Making credits!"

Leon laughed inwardly. It wasn't a Jedi, it was just a greedy nerf herder with a lightsaber and a dash of Force sensitivity. He shook his head and moved silently behind one of the mercenaries, snapping the man's neck efficiently and noiselessly before moving on. The next one put up some more fight. He turned as Leon approached, firing his blaster. The Knight, luckily, jumped out of the path of each bolt with the aid of the Force and tore the weapon from his enemy's hands. A single shot later and the man was left on the ground, a smoking hole in his chest. Leon turned quickly, trusting his instincts, and unloaded the rest of the energy clip into the final merc, who had managed to sneak up on him somehow. With that, Leon dropped the blaster rifle and reignited his saber before turning to where the Twi'lek now stood.

The green skinned alien man was shaking in rage. Watching one's friends would do that, Leon supposed. The Twi'lek shook his head in sad anger and then roared, rushing Leon and swinging with savage, wild blows at the Knight's body. Leon was able to deftly move out of each blow's path, altering his enemy's path slightly with the Force. To the former Jedi's credit, the speed of the blows was keeping Leon from raising his saber and getting his own attacks in. That didn't last for long though.

As another blow came in, Leon ducked beneath the horizontal swipe, only to be caught in the jaw by the Twi'lek's Force enhanced knee and sent flying through the air. Leon caught himself midair, flipping gracefully and landing with a soft thud. He glanced up at his opponent in frustrated anger. "Enough," he snapped before instinctively raising one hand. He tried to summon Force Lightning, but the energy fizzled out at his fingertips. He barely deflected the next slash of the green saber, twisting around the blow.

Leon twisted, growling at his inability to use one of the most basic Force techniques there was. He blocked the next attack of the Twi'lek and smashed his elbow into the green alien's face. The former Jedi stumbled back and Leon lashed out with a concussive blast of Force energy. The black of Leon's saber immediately rushed forward, cutting the alien's skull in half horizontally, causing the _lekku_ to collapse to the floor, followed swiftly by the body and top half of the man's head.

"I've got the data," Erea said to Leon, who looked up from his hand. Why couldn't he cast Lightning?

The Commander opened her mouth to say something else to him, but was cut off by a beeping from their commlinks. "Leon, Sith – you're going to want to see this," the steely voice of Deranis said over the link.

Leon shook his head and sighed. "We're on our way," he said a moment later.

SWSWSWSWSW

The room was completely black and made of ancient, stone like materials. Water dripped from the ceiling at odd intervals, somehow echoing through the shadow right at the moment one became their most comfortable and shaking them from the fugue of their sleep. There was a small drain in the middle of the floor, but the puddles of water were rarely large enough to slip down the drain, instead festering in the rough grooves of the floor. The rotten stench of barely washed human excrement filled the small room, though its only denizen had long since become accustomed to it.

Not much bothered the man kneeling in the darkness anymore, actually. He was in the center of the room, just over the drain. The man's hands were clasped together near the small of his back in a latch-less, durasteel board. His captors had snapped his thumbs at the joints to jam his hands through the holes before healing his hands to prevent his escape. His hair, once a closely cropped brown, had turned into a mangled, matted mane of different colors – or, it would appear that way were there any sources of light in the room. He still wore the cloth remains of the brown and red robes that had once adorned his shoulders; a small patch was torn from his tunic to reveal a patch of his chest.

When light flooded into the room, the man did not open his eyes. It had been months since he'd seen light, and he wasn't in the mood to be blinded right then. He slowly allowed his eyelids to drift open, accustoming them to the intense burn of the probably singular, dim light as slowly as he could. The one who had entered the room said nothing as the man blinked, blindly examining his surroundings. Finally, the prisoner spoke, "Well, I honestly didn't expect you to come see me so soon," the prisoner said, smiling as his eyes began to fix on his visitor. "Tell me, what can your dear brother do for you, Jana?"

The Knight leaned towards the plasma wall of the cell, eyes narrowed angrily. She didn't say anything, however. She merely glared at the weakened remains of her brother through the plasma wall. "Oh, stop trying to make me see things, Sister," Griffus chided, his voice slightly unhinged. "My time here has made me hallucinate enough that your imagination isn't that bad anymore. If you're even real, that is..."

"Revan. I know you felt it, too," Jana growled at her brother, a hint of fear in her voice. Griffus laughed manically, confirming what she had thought. "He's dead."

"If that's what all the evidence says," Griffus said with a humorous shrug. "Who am I to argue with the one who planted the bombs?"

Jana was silent at that. "Oh, come on. Frius winds up in an exploding fighter, I end up arrested for 'treason,' and you walk free?" Griffus pointed out incredulously. He turned to his shoulder. "Yes I know. Oh, please, like you'd know." He turned back to Jana. "You are real, right?"

"Far as I know," she replied coolly.

Griffus shrugged, accepting that this was as good as he'd get. "How much did Nernyn pay you? Oh, no, you never liked _things_. Too mundane for the mind witch. He probably gave you some old weapon or Sith holocron. Ancient teachings for one stuck in the past."

"It teaches us to prevent repeating it," Jana hissed.

"Really? I couldn't tell what with you repeating the past," Griffus retorted, laughing as he did. Jana hissed quietly, but otherwise did not respond. "Revan. Yes I felt it. Why?"

"He's dead."

"And why would that matter?" Griffus asked, his voice completely calm for once, his insanity quelled in a moment of clarity. "Our Emperor said he often saw the visions of his namesake."

"So even in death he moves against those who deserve the Empire?" Jana asked. Griffus rolled his eyes at her overt pride. "He would doom what he created for... vengeance?"

"Did you _meet_ the man?" Griffus asked, his hysteria returned. He looked at his left shoulder. "Right? I mean come on, he tried to kill the woman he loved for vengeance!" Griffus sighed contentedly and turned to his sister. "I can't imagine what he has in store if he'd come from beyond the grave for you. I'm giddy with anticipation."

Jana shook her head and turned to leave, trapping her brother in intense darkness yet again. Griffus smiled to himself and sighed. He couldn't _wait_ to see what his Master had in store. All it was going to take was a little escape, and now that he could see in light again. With a laugh of pain and insanity, the former Knight broke both his thumbs as he tore his hands from his cuffs and escaped custody. With a wave of his broken hands, the plasma wall deactivated and he began his destructive march to freedom. "I'm coming, Lord Revan," he said with barely contained glee. "Let's set the Empire ablaze one last time."

SWSWSWSWSW

"Is that a toddler?" Leon asked again, staring at the little girl playing with blocks in front of them. The child laughed happily and threw one of the blocks at Deranis' scowling head. "Where the _kriff_ is the target?"

"She's shorter than we thought, that's for sure," Mari said sarcastically, her face an angry scowl. " _Schutta_ wanted us to steal a kid!"

"Does that change anything?" Deranis asked with a growl, drawing a surprised glance from the others.

"Yes, it does," Erea snapped, drawing a grunt of approval from Marien. Leon appreciated for a moment that the two, despite their mutual dislike, were more similar than either believed or would ever admit. "It's a kid."

"It's the target. If we want to cement our reputations, we're going to have to do unsavory things," Deranis spat, turning to Leon. "We have to do this for our mission. We have to take the kid. No way around it."

"We can't!" Mari hissed. "You can't just steal some kid, dammit! You'd make this kid never know its parents, and for what?"

"The mission, sadly, takes precedence over all. And they couldn't defend their child, they don't deserve the child!" Deranis retorted angrily. He cursed in a non-basic language. "We have no choice here, Leon."

Leon frowned and glanced down at the kid. "Here's what we're going to do," Leon said, looking back up at the crew. And he told them his plan.


	18. The Ghost in the Shadowlands

**HAPPY LIFE DAY! MERRY CHRISTMAS! HAPPY NEW YEAR!**

Leon marched with saber drawn into the Czerka tech offices, a trail of destruction in his wake. The others stayed outside of Lorso's office, ready to fend off the incoming wave of Czerka droids guarding the woman. "A _karking_ child," Leon snapped as he entered, drawing a surprised and terrified look from Lorso. At her table stood a protocol droid. The thing cocked its head to the side and pulled out a blaster, shouting about activating its assassination protocols. A single slash of Leon's lightsaber led to the droid ending up a smoking pile of slag. Leon brought his hand up, gripping Lorso's throat with the Force and dragging her over her table. She hovered just off the floor in front of him, clutching at the invisible fingers tightening around her throat. "What did you hope to accomplish with that?"

"...Trade..." the woman struggled to get out. Leon, with a sneer of disgust, hesitantly loosened his grip on the Mirialan woman's throat. He growled to get her to speak again. "A trade. The girl for a position of power in the Imperial Czerka offices."

"Why?" Leon snarled, wondering why the Empire would allow such action to continue unabated. He took a short breath, trying to think it through. "Who is she?"

"She's the child of the Imperial Aratech president. Czerka thought she would be a useful bargaining chip. Problem is, her father works for the Triumviracy and held on to his daughter during the war," Lorso explained fearfully. Leon noticed her hand drifting towards a blaster on her hip and he tore it from its holster with the Force, sending it flying across the room. Lorso's eyes widened as fear filled her even further.

"I'll tell you what. I won't kill you," Leon said, putting the woman down. His grip on her throat remained, however. Light, but warning. "Instead you're going to help _me_ , and Force help you if you betray me."

"Anything..." Lorso said, tears streaming down from her eyes.

"You're getting me into the Shadowlands, _Schutta_ ," Leon snapped.

"The Shadowlands!? What would you possibly want there!?" the Mirialan asked, panicked. Leon was taken aback. "W-what? You betray me and then expect me to let you go _there_? I-I'm sorry, but no. There are huge company secrets down there, ones far too valuable to allow to fall into the h-hands of some d-deserter..."

"Hm. Counter," Leon said, moving faster than Lorso could see. Her desk was suddenly cut in half behind her. "Your thoughts?"

The woman's face palled. She tugged on Leon's hand on her throat and the Knight let her go, seeing she was too scared of him at that moment to do anything stupid. "It's not that simple," she snapped, walking around the remains of her desk and opening one of its drawers. "The Wookiees restrict any non-indigenous entry into the Shadowlands. They _kriffing_ think its some religious site where only the strongest survive. Most non-Wookiees die after a ten minute stay down there from the damn carnivorous flowers and rancor sized insects!"

Leon glanced down at his lightsaber. "Yeah, I think we can handle ourselves," he muttered, stifling a laugh.

Lorso shook her head. "Fine. But you'll have to threaten someone else for a ticket back up. I can only clear you for the way down," the woman snapped. She smiled and pulled something from the drawer before tossing it to Leon, who caught the item in his open hand. He opened his fingers and looked down at the passcard in his hand. He looked back up at Lorso. "I hope you die down there."

"I doubt you're that lucky," Leon growled, swinging his saber and burning through the wall until his saber was right next to Lorso's head. "Too bad killing you would attract so much attention. Now can I trust you to not go and kidnap any kids, hm?" Leon laughed and walked away from the woman, who was shaking and staring at the wall, unblinking and unthinking. Frozen. "See you later, Tara."

As Leon left the room, the woman fell to her knees and clutched at the table beside her, desperately trying to stop focusing on how close her death had nearly come. Her fingers curled around the edge of the bisected table and she pushed herself up to her feet. She'd find some way to get her revenge on that deserter nutjob. But just like in business, she had to wait for the right opportunity.

SWSWSWSWSW

Leon let his legs dangle off the edge of the wooden lift that led down to the Shadowlands. Czerka's facilities did not, in fact, extend all the way down to the planet's surface through the trunk of its corporate tree. Rather, the companies were forced to stop building some distance above the roots so that the tree, which still lived, could continue to grow along with the rest of Kashyyyk's planetary forest. As the massive trees grew, the companies could tunnel down a certain amount each year, extending their facilities at a steady pace.

The descent itself had been mostly uneventful, save for the occasional attack by Kinrath. Sadly for the spiders, the Eagle's crew was more than capable of summarily killing all of them. Despite this good fortune, Leon couldn't shake a deep sense of unease. The air around him was filled with a sickly, dark feeling. "Reminds you of Darth Stauen, doesn't it?" Mari said as she sat next to him.

Leon turned to her. "Hm?" he grunted.

"The air. It's... dirty?" the Chiss responded without turning towards him. Her gaze was fixed on the shadows beyond. "My master says this is the Dark Side. Uneasy shores and shifting sands. And here it almost feels like we're swimming in it. Odd that the Triumvirate would have a world so built on the Dark Side.

"Is it?" Leon muttered as he turned to stare into the darkness as well. The longer he stared, the more conflicted he became. Some part of him seemed to almost be begging to let the shadows in, but another was cringing at the mere thought of doing so.

"What do you mean?" she asked, finally turning towards him.

"The Wookiees keep building up. They exile violent criminals to the Shadowlands. They have coming of age rituals where a Wook has to go into the Shadowlands, survive, and escape, literally conquering the Dark Side of their nature and their planet. As much as life seeks to change, it seeks stability just as much," Leon explained, blinking and shaking his head to get the darkness out. His gaze met Marien's. "It's why Kashyyyk didn't join the Empire, despite their Senator's advice – they subconsciously run from the shadows."

Mari nodded slowly and looked towards the shadows, leaning back on her open hands while she stared out. Leon turned and sat in a similar way, keeping watch for some speck of light in the distance to comfort him and stem the tide of the smothering darkness. He shifted his weight and felt his hand hit Mari's covered, robotic hand. He started. "I'm... uh, sorry about your arm," he muttered.

Mari looked over at him, then laughed. "You'd think I'd rather be dead?" the woman asked.

Leon shrugged. "I suppose that might be worse," he joked.

SWSWSWSWSW

Lorso began cursing to herself as the droids dragged the remains of her desk out of her large office. She turned to the video viewport that was present on the circular wall and continued grumbling to herself. Despite her earlier conviction to remain waiting for a real chance to get revenge on Leon and his crewmates, she was finding her patience wearing extremely thin.

"And make sure the next one is built out of some Sith _kriffed_ Cortosis weave, dammit!" the Mirialan screamed as the droids left the room. She lifted her extra passcard up to her face and clutched it tight between her fingers. Damnable deserter nerf herder. Lorso growled to herself and pocketed the card before moving to the other end of the room and opening the compartment containing the messages sent to her by the head of the Imperial Czerka branches. She considered them for a moment, wondering if she could use them as a trade to get into Imperial Aratech business, but quickly decided against it; Aratech just wasn't at the same level as Czerka Arms. She took the archaically paper notes and tore them to shreds with her hands before shutting the compartment and returning to where her seat would be.

"Ma'am, there's someone here to see you," Lorso heard over her beeping communicator.

Another damnable visit from that deserter? Already? How could he have gotten back that fast? "Just _kriffing_ shoot him and call me when it's over," the Mirialan snapped. She ended the call and stared at the viewscreen, where an image of Coruscant's corridors of high rises and metal walkways began to cool her fury. She cringed in annoyance as blaster fire ended the life of the deserter. She whispered to herself. "Finally."

Then there was an explosion as a droid was killed. Then another. Metal clanked outside of Lorso's office and she grabbed the blaster she had long since replaced at her hip before aiming at the door. She'd die, but she'd take that _kriffing_ deserter Knight with her! When the door slid open, her finger squeezed wildly on the blaster and she shut her eyes to prepare for the end. The green energy _vlorp_ ed and hissed through the air until screaming as it hit the durasteel wall. She had missed. She had failed. "Be careful, woman. You might just go and kill yourself," an angry voice from the other side of the room grunted. Lorso opened her eyes to see a Cathar man almost seven feet tall. He had a sniper laser strapped to his back and another automatic rifle on his hip that looked like a pistol to him. A bandolier of mines and grenades was strapped across his broad chest. His yellow, cat like eyes were narrowed in annoyance.

"Who in the _kark_ are you?" Tara asked, just as much annoyance in her movements as she placed one hand on her hip and glared at the Cathar.

The man shook his head. "That ain't your business, Lorso. Just know this – the Triumvirate is willing to overlook your little... betrayal attempt," the man said, stopping there and letting Lorso begin to sweat. The Triumvirate had known from the beginning!? "Well, if you help me that is."

"Anything!" the woman squeaked, desperate to save her own skin.

"Do you know anything about a group of 'Sith Deserters' who've made their way to Kashyyyk recently?" the Cathar asked.

Lorso smiled and holstered her weapon gracefully. "Oh, I'll be glad to help. You mean to kill them, yes?"

"Capture if possible. But yes. Killing them is acceptable," the Cathar grunted, crossing his arms over his blue and white armored chest. "The bounty for alive is higher."

"Well, then I think we can be of service to each other..." Lorso said with a cruel smile. Just wait for the opportunity and it will come.

SWSWSWSWSW

"Are we there yet?" Leon asked.

Erea sighed and kept her gaze on the datapad. "For the fifteenth time: no. It's just around this corner, and we'll see what the _kriff_ it was that Revan was looking for before the War."

Three seconds passed.

"Are we there yet?"

"Force dammit, _kark_ no! We're not -"

"Greetings," a computerized voice said from just past Erea. She sighed. They were there. Leon and the others stared up at the hideous hologram. It was an alien of some sort, with an incredibly long head and a mouth full of sharp, cruel teeth. Two eye stalks stuck out from either side of the head halfway up. The creature's arms ended in three claws, one a thumb. It's feet were much the same, resembling the hind legs of a Nexu in shape. "Who are you and why are you here?"

"We're following orders. I'm Leon, this is Erea, Marien, and Deranis. What are you?" the Knight responded, arms crossed and confused. He had never, in his life or any history vid, ever seen an alien like that before. He supposed it could have been a society from the Shadowlands, but where was the evidence – ancient buildings, other holograms, star ships? No, this was old – older than Leon though possible – yet somehow familiar. "I've never seen a species like yours before."

"I am holo guardian LG-4405921. That you do not know of the Builders surprises me. They have not yet conquered your galaxy?" the holgram asked.

"The what? Nothing'll be conquering me," Deranis growled.

Erea piped up next, incredibly interested in what was going on before her. "What are the 'Builders?'"

"Hm. Accessing secondary programming..." the hologram said. It stiffened. "Secondary personality matrix accessed. Answer: I... can't say."

Leon and the others glanced at one another. "What does that mean?" Leon asked, moving slowly towards the hologram's control panel. He saw a strange tower beside the holo-emitter; the technology emitted a powerful, Dark Side aura. Leon looked over at Marien and saw that she had noticed before him, being more in tune with the Dark Side than he was. "Why can't you tell us what's going on?"

"Numerous changes were made to this unit's personality matrices two of your Galactic Standard Years ago. Administrative Users have locked data behind walls with deleted parameters," the hologram explained. "You have not presented the solution to these parameters."

Leon shook his head. "Is there any information on those parameters that you can give us?" the Knight asked while examining the control panel of the hologram interface. The wiring was odd, built in configurations that didn't seem to make any sense. Besides that, the metal seemed to be engrained with the roots of the nearby trees themselves, connecting the machine to the organic, dark world around it. "How about this? How long have you been here?"

"This unit has been present here for approximately... twenty thousand of your Galactic Standard Years."

"The builders have to be extinct then," Erea said, breaking the eerie silence that had followed that statement. "The Republic would have records on them."

"The ones destroyed in the Jedi Purge of the first Empire?" Leon asked. "Even if they did – twenty thousand years. That's older than the Jedi Order or the Old Republic, by most estimates." He shook his head and turned back up to the hologram. "Are these trees indigenous?"

"Yes. Evolution accelerated on this planet approximately 19,999 of your Galactic Standard Years ago," the machine responded.

"So this Dark Side presence... is you?" Mari asked, leaning forward. Her eyes were hungry for knowledge.

"Dark Side... Phrase recognized. Deploying guard droids," the hologram stated.

"You had to make it mad," Erea grumbled as she drew her blasters.

"Oh, yeah, cause you just standing there like an idiot was helping," the blue skinned woman shot back with a snarl. Her crimson saber was soon ignited beside her. Leon followed suit and brought his black and white blade up in a two handed defensive position. Feet clacked in the distance, the spidery noise of ancient war droids approaching. When they arrived, Leon noted that they seemed to be based off of the design of the local Kinrath, at least in part. There was a large, tail like spine coming out from the low hanging legs and body that was charged with a bright blue energy. A shield emitter on the body of the droid bathed it in a faint blue glow.

Leon felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up and he jumped forward, raising his blade just in time to deflect the plasma bolt fired by one of the two droids right at Erea, The blue beam collided with his saber and he was suddenly sent tumbling backwards. His body collided with the Commander and the two slammed into the trunk of a nearby tree. Leon pushed himself up and reactivated his lightsaber, which had shut off upon his loss of control. Marien slashed at one of the droids, only for her blade to collide with the shield and flash much as if the weapon had been met with another lightsaber. The Chiss Sith was barely able to pull her own saber away to deflect the blaster bolt and get thrown to the other side of the clearing. Deranis, meanwhile, seemed to be the only one with sense. He was standing behind a massive tree, using it as cover, and firing at the droids when he could. His bolts fizzled against the energy shield or, occasionally, ricocheted off randomly.

 _How are we going to stop these things?_ Leon asked to himself, trying to dodge the streams of blue energy that came towards him. The blue burrowed through the ground, leaving lightsaber sized holes in the ground that burrowed down for some distance. One hit the root of one of the nearby trees, causing a rain of twigs and Wroshyr nuts to stream down from above. The physical objects passed through the shielding with a slight sizzle, coming out little worse for wear as they bounced against the bodies of the droids.

Leon lit up and flipped over another stream of energy. "Erea! Deranis! Grenades. Set them on activation timers so that they'll explode _inside_ the shields," he said as he flew through the air and landed on the vertical trunk of a Wroshyr tree. "Energy Shields can't deflect physical kinetic bodies!"

Deranis moved without even acknowledging he had heard. He rushed out from his defended position, grenade in hand, and tossed two of them. The small, silver balls rolled across the ground, unseen by the droids. Until, that is, the devices began to beep beneath them. The droids turned around and around, looking for the source of the threat until the explosion and the sonic energy that came with it were contained in the shields.

The thermal detonators exploded within the shields, energy contained by the plasma shield, and melted the droids down to slag within them. When the remains of the shield generators finally gave, the plasma was thrown upward through the first hole in the shield with an echoing _BOOM!_ Melted and burning branches fell to the ground around the crew, slamming into the ground with loud, echoing thuds.

"Parameters met. Remaining parameter defined: two numerical codes." Leon's eyes widened and he pulled out his datapad, showing it to the hologram that had just spoken. The thing buzzed for a second. "Access granted – Administrator Codename: Revan. Access to Star Map Data from two Standard Years ago granted."

Leon and the rest of the crew nearly jumped as the tower beside the hologram hissed and the interface fizzled into sleep mode. The tower split apart with a loud, creaking noise as if its motors were rusted. Ligths began to glow within the three prongs that were created and a map of the galaxy lit up above the ground. Two red dots pulsed on opposite ends of the galaxy. "Well, I guess we know where Revan went, now," Leon said. He downloaded the information and turned to the rest of the crew. "Let's go."

Suddenly, the world was thrown into disarray when explosions knocked the entire group apart and into unconsciousness.


	19. Hunters in the Shadowlands

Leon gasped in pain as he came to, a stabbing pain running up his side. It felt like there were vibroknives buried between a few of his ribs, rattling his internal organs and causing the air in his lungs to come out with the taste of iron. He felt his arms burning and realized that his clothes had been blown right off of his forearms with light burns tracing up and down his arms. The rest of his jacket and pants were burnt and tattered around him; he was suddenly very grateful he had another change of clothes present on the ship, as his pants were torn almost completely up one side of his left leg. Thankfully, however, his under armor magsuit was completely fine, since it was made from more stable stuff.

"Ugh," he groaned, pushing himself up to his feet. He raised his wrist to his face, activating the communicator.

"Ah, I wouldn't do that. Bad idea," a familiar voice said, drawing Leon's attention. He groaned as the black robes of his shifty, ghost like mentor appeared from the shadows. "Nice to see you were able to get the data before the Star Map was slagged. I almost didn't think you'd make it, seeing those droids. Nerf Herders don't usually make it this far."

Leon growled, but immediately winced and regretted it. The pain in his side rumbled with his voice, stabbing through his gut and causing him to fall back to one knee. "Nerf Herder?" he gasped angrily, drawing a shrug from the mass of robes. " _Schutta, dee wa!_ "

The black robed man shook his head, and Leon was sure that the unseen face had rolled its eyes. "Yeah, whatever. We don't have time for that. I've seen the guy who has your team. Nasty piece of work. Cathar Bounty Hunter named Steran is after you. He planted the explosives during your fight so you wouldn't notice with your Force awareness. Revan contracted him a few times way back when," the man explained, helping Leon to his feet. He placed Leon's hand on the broken ribs and nodded. Leon sent jolts of Force energy through his body, repairing the ribs – at least enough. "Nasty piece of work. Though I have to say, I really respect his uncanny knack for taking out anything with a lightsaber."

"Glad you can act light in a situation like this," Leon growled, his ribs only jumbling inside of him for a short moment. It hurt less than before. "Fine. Where are my friends?"

The black robes scoffed and sighed. "Gah. Friends. Still on that, hm?" he asked. He laughed again. "You know, they'll be the death of you. Whether that's today or not... let's hope it's not today."

"That wouldn't be ideal, no. But they've kept me alive, so far – why stop trusting them now?" Leon said as he straightened his back. He twisted at his midsection, groaning comfortably as his back cracked. He pulled his saber from his hip and ignited the weapon, casting off some of the shadows around him. The black robed man backed away to the edge of the dim light's reach and crossed his arms, placing his hands within the robe sleeve of the other arm. "Where is Steran? And where are the others?"

"Steran is... dangerous. He doesn't get cocky and that's why he kills Jedi, Sith, and Knights so often. He goes for the weakest links first, whoever that may be. Padawans, pets. Anything that he can use as a hostage. My guess? Red and White are already out of the game. Blue's next."

"They're dead?" Leon asked, his voice shuddering.

"No. They're alive. He needs to lure you in somehow, and I'm betting he's been watching. Abandon them. Leave, and you'll survive to fight another day."

Leon stared at the black mass of robes that was staring so intently at him. The cloth rustled as the man moved, shifting on his feet. "You... _kark_ no. How do I find Steran?"

The black robed man sighed at Leon's response then uncrossed his arms. The young Knight glared at the unknown intently, eyes wide with calm fury. "You'll one day wish you listened to me," the black robed man cautioned, rage causing his voice to shake. "He should be close, setting up traps wherever he can. The ones who are going to betray you one day, he'll be keeping them close to the lift so he can leave with your unconscious or dead bodies as he gets you."

Leon nodded and turned on his heel, bringing up the map on his datapad. Thankfully, military grade datapads can survive a lot, even an explosion. "I'm on my way guys," he whispered, then ran off into the darkness of the Shadowlands.

SWSWSWSWSW

Darth Nernyn, Emperor of the Sith Empire, the Sith who had razed Telos IV in retribution for the death of his master. The most powerful Force wielder in the galaxy, and he was not _karking happy._

"Will you repeat what you have said. I would hate to believe that I had missed any of what you were telling me," the Sith Lord whispered. The sound was somehow able to drift through the moderately loud bridge of the destroyer and sound a bit like a thunderclap in the ears of the captain shivering in fear behind him. His fingers clenched tight, the leather of his glove squeaking as he did. Somehow, this noise only made him seem more terrifying.

"I... My Lord, it seems that the Triumvirate forces," the officer began, his Coruscanti accent bending the words slightly, "they found the site of Project Kresh. All data was destroyed or lost by the time the soldiers and droids arrived."

"And how did they find it, Captain?" the Lord of the Sith growled, causing the military man's knees to go weak. He steadied himself after a moment and clasped his hands behind his back, standing at attention. "How did they circumvent your guardianship of the planet? You _kriffing_ failure, how?"

The captain stuttered for a moment. "I..." the Captain began

He was cut off by the slow movement of Nernyn's arm moving upward. His arm was at a right angle with his hand held lazily upward. "I am not interested in your excuses. I know what happened. I know you have failed me once again. For. The last. Time." The captain froze, struggling against the invisible vice that was gripping his throat so tightly. "This was not the day to fail me, Captain. One of the traitors who aided in the murder of my late master escaped from confinement. I am not pleased, and you failed me yet again."

"Pl- my Lord, pl- please!"

"I am uninterested in your begging," Nernyn hissed. He twisted his hand at the wrist, and the captain's head snapped sideways, breaking his neck. "Split the rest of his forces to the other sites. And someone clean up his body before we get to Ruusan. There's enough refuse on the council that I don't need more on this ship."

"What do you need, master?" the older Sith inquired as he approached Nernyn, bowing low.

Nernyn didn't look at his apprentice. "Torrus, I need you to find Griffus before he deals irreparable damage to my Empire." Nernyn turned to look the graying human in the eye. "Take his sister with you – she must prove her loyalty now. Revan's life still echoes despite his death, and I feel something moving against us..."

Torrus bowed deeply. "Yes, my Master."

SWSWSWSWSW

Leon walked slowly through the forest, grunting in exertion. Turns out, tripping over roots almost the size of a mature whipid was not a very fun experience, especially in the darkest of places in the Kashyyyk sector of the Galaxy. At least there were no Trandoshan hunting parties on Kashyyyk anymore – one of the few things the damn Triumviracy hadn't _kriffed_ up.

Leon swung his saber before him again, slashing through a branch as big around as a woman, and staggered over as it hit the ground. "Dammit," he growled as his knee slammed into the bark, sending a jolt of pain up and down his leg. He was sure that his haphazard path through the Shadowlands was attracting all sorts of attention, bounty hunter and otherwise, but he didn't have much choice. He needed to get to the lift as quickly as possible to save his friends; nothing else mattered.

He stopped as he heard an angry growl and turned, only to feel a large, clawed fist crashing into his chest and sending him flying into a tree. "I really need to stop having this happen to me," Leon growled as he stood up, drawing his lightsaber again. He nearly dropped his saber when he saw what was coming for him. "What the _kriff-!?_ "

Charging _through_ the trees at the tree line, barreling straight through the thousand year old trunks, was a terrifying creature. It was about the size of a small Rancor, with deep brown, chitonous skin. Long, black spines stuck out from the creature's hide from the middle of its hunched back and all the way up to what could be called its forehead, between two black, beady eyes. Below that, a pair of monstrous mandibles almost the length of a lightsaber and as thick as a wookiee's chest clacked together. Leon raised his saber in front of him and hissed. "What the _kark_ are you?"

The creature roared in response, rushing towards Leon with rage in every movement. He was surprised how gracefully the creature moved, despite its size. He ducked under a massive blow from the creature, barely. The fist crashed into the tree that Leon had been in front of, shattering the massive trunk of wood and sending splinters clacking against his under suit. " _Kriff!_ " Leon shouted, rolling away from the chunks of wood that were spilling out. There was a large thud as the main chunk of bark slammed against the ground.

By the time Leon glanced up, the creature – whatever it was – was already on him. Its massive fist crashed into the ground where Leon crouched, the Knight barely moving in time to survive. He raised his blade and jumped forward as quickly as he could, slashing down with his lightsaber at the creature's arm. The saber burned through the creature's skin, stopping after only a short moment. Leon flipped over the creature's arm then and tore the saber out. It took a bit more effort than he had thought to pull the lightsaber from the creature's hide. "What are you made of!?" Leon snapped, rolling between the creature's legs and nicking the creature's tendon. Thankfully, the thinner flesh surrounding the critical muscle wasn't too much of a problem for him to take out. He rolled across the ground, jumping to his feet just as the creature's heavy body slammed into the ground.

The creature dragged itself in a circle, lashing out with its fist to kill Leon, but he moved out of the creature's range. He slashed down at the hand as it passed, slicing off one of the creature's fingers. Leon felt victorious at first, but quickly realized it had been a terrible mistake. Noxious green liquid and gas spurted from the wound, splashing across Leon upper right arm. He screamed in surprise and pain as the acid burned through his clothes, even managing to get through the under suit. He screamed in pain as it reached his skin, singing him. He was barely able to grip the stuff with the Force and fling it off of him, sending it flying through the darkness and burning through a tree trunk. He stumbled backwards and fell to his back, clutching at the burn on his arm and groaning in pain.

"I have to admit, that was quite fortuitous," a deep voice called from the shadows. Leon grit his teeth and forced himself up. His saber dropped from his right hand. He groaned and reached down with his left hand to latch it to his belt. "After seeing you in battle with that creature, I am sure you would have posed quite a problem. Now, however, it seems that you will fall to me just as quickly as your crewmates."

Leon snarled and walked into the clearing containing the lift. "Steran. Let my friends go," Leon snapped. The rest of the crew was laying unconscious and burned at the feet of the eight foot Cathar. Leon laughed.

"My reputation precedes me, I see," the Cathar said, his teeth glinting in the dim light of the Shadowlands. He crossed his arms before him. "Surrender now. I'd rather not damage the merchandise any further."

Leon shook his head with a throaty laugh before pulling his saber from his hip. "I may be half broken, but my master didn't teach no coward," he retorted, grinning despite himself. His hair drifted into his eyes, but it didn't change much – the Shadowlands were nearly pitch dark anyways. "And I still think my odds are pretty good."

"I doubt that," the Cathar said, raising his hand. Leon jumped forward just as the Cathar depressed the button, trusting his instincts to move out of the path of the explosion. He was barely out of its range when, suddenly, a second, smaller explosion erupted into being nearby. He was thrown across the clearing again, his ears suddenly ringing. The world was tossed to the side, wobbling as Leon pushed himself up to his knees. He saw Steran mocking him, saying something as the lift came back down.

Two figures stood on the lift. One looked to be some sort of humanoid, about one point 8 meters tall or maybe a little more. The other was a cylinder about a meter tall with a dome sitting atop it. The dome moved to the side and a series of red and blue lights blinked in and out of existence. As Leon's hearing returned, he swore that the dome began to whistle obnoxiously. It took an embarrassing amount of time before he recognized it as Astromech binary, and even longer before he could translate it in his head.

"I agree, Artoo. Steran, shouldn't play with his bounties. It's unbecoming," the humanoid said, mocking the Cathar. The voice was old, probably a human male in his early hundreds, and cocky as _kriff_. Despite that, there was some sort of grudging wisdom in it, like the owner of the voice had lived through some dark enough things to come out a better man. To Steran: "Let the kid go."

"I'm afraid I can't do that. Besides, you know the code, C. Bounty Hunters don't attack each other when hunting the same bounty," Steran said, pulling out a blaster and aiming it at the stunned Leon.

C laughed and moved closer. Leon saw, as the unknown approached a beam of light, that C was indeed an old human male. He wore a deep black, bantha leather jacket over what looked like a slab of _bes'kar_. Brown pants and black boots. A blaster hung at one side of his hips and a small cylinder at the other. A Jedi bounty hunter? And an R2 unit? Those had become obsolete before the Clone War even began. "Nothing in the code if I'm not after any bounty," C said, metal glinting from one of his ears as he shook his head and laughed, gray hair obscuring it a moment later. "This is your only chance. Leave while you still can."

Leon almost missed the movement of the Cathar bounty hunter, turning as quickly as he could to fire off a bolt at this C. A green beam of energy erupted into being a half moment later, deflecting the bolt of energy right into Steran's skull. The Cathar fell, embers glowing in the circular hole between his eyes. "I said. You heard me, kid. I _told him_ to let it go. Ugh, Steran was never good at that anyways."

Leon stared up at his rescuer. "Who the _kriff_?"

"Ah," the man said, laughing to himself. "Where are my manners? You can call me Cade. This is my buddy R2-D2. Tell me, Kid: you four got transport off this damn planet, cause I might've... gambled my ship away."


	20. The Trail of the Dark Lord

Leon groaned in the medbay of the Eagle as he wrapped bacta-soaked gauze around his upper right arm, getting sad when he noticed that his tattoo had been completely burned off by the acidic blood of that creature he had fought. "Lose your tattoo?" Cade asked him, gesturing at the burn as Leon wrapped it up. Leon just stared distrustfully at the old man, eyes narrowed. "Well, I thought saving your life would get me a few answers at least."

"How did you find me? Why were you down there?" Leon growled.

"That? Ah, honestly I was hunting you. Bounty on you was _so_ _karking big_. I could have bought the _Mynock_ back fifty damn times. And I still would've had enough left over for a yearlong vacation of blowing my creds every day on Zeltros," Cade responded, chuckling.

Leon _hmm_ ed. "Then... why not collect?" Leon asked. He finished wrapping the bandage and reached over to his new shirt and jacket, quickly pulling them on. He glanced sadly over at his undersuit – he felt almost naked without it. He returned his attention to the bounty hunter and his whistling astromech. Leon growled at the droid. "No, I don't have a protocol droid on this ship."

"You understand astromech binary?" Cade nodded, a little impressed. "As for why I didn't collect? Ah, Sithspit, Kid, you killed a Terentatek after getting grenaded half to death by Steran. Creds are fun and all, but the Jedi Council couldn't even kill a Terentatek if they were all still in their prime."

"A Terentatek..? That buggy lookin' rancor?" Leon asked.

"Not a bad description I guess. Yeah. They're the result of Sith Alchemy from, hell, Force knows when," Cade explained, crossing his arms over his chest. "They can resist the Force, deflect lightsaber blows, and subsist completely off of the blood of Jedi."

"Like creator like monster, I suppose," Leon replied as he buttoned his jacket up. He summoned his lightsaber back to his hand and clipped it to his waist. "Still not clear on why you wanted to come with us, though."

"Look, Leon, right?" Cade asked, earning an annoyed nod from the Knight. "Look, when someone is surrounded by the Force as much as you are, it means something crazy is going to happen. And crazy usually means a lot of creds, a lot of weapons, and a _kriff_ load of salvage. Honestly, I've probably quadrupled what I would've gotten."

"All about the creds, then? I guess that's straightforward, at least," Leon muttered, pushing off from the bed. The rest of the crew was already performing their duties on the ship; Leon had insisted that they get medical attention before him. They had been more injured after all. The R2 unit whistled and beeped. Leon chuckled in response. "Well, it's good to know you at least are here cause you like me."

"Ah, you're here because you follow me," Cade told the droid, earning an angry _whooo_ in response. "Ah, shut it. We both know it's true."

Leon laughed and left the medbay, gesturing for the aging bounty hunter to follow him. The rest of the crew was there, staring at the newcomer who had saved their lives. "So... how did Cade Skywalker end up being a bounty hunter again?" Leon looked over at Erea, stunned. This guy was _the_ Cade Skywalker?

Cade looked at Erea, eyebrows raised. He took a deep breath, sighed, and shrugged. "Well, it isn't exactly a secret I guess," Cade said, rubbing the back of his head. Artoo beeped a few times and Cade rolled his eyes. "No, I'm not going to talk about it with them." The droid whistled again. "Because I've known them for all of ten minutes, that's why, Artoo!"

"It doesn't matter. Do you not want people knowing you're _the_ Cade Skywalker?" Leon asked. He crossed his arms and frowned, eventually nodding to himself. "Yeah, I can understand where that would be an issue with some of our... less Jedi loving bosses."

Cade laughed once. "Ha! I knew you four weren't Sith deserters!" he said, grinning. Artoo whistled low. "Yeah, you do owe me thirty credits. Deal with it." He looked back up at Leon. "You're too well equipped to be brand new mercs. If you'd stolen all this, the Empire would have a bounty out on you too. Ipso facto, a secret squad made by the Empire."

"So why help us and the Empire?" Mari asked, uncrossing and recrossing her arms. Questions just kept popping up in everyone's heads. "This doesn't make any sense. You fought the Sith Empire. You fought Krayt and Roan Fel. Why would you ever want to help us?"

Cade shrugged. "It's war out there," Cade supplied. "I'd have to choose a side eventually – I'm a Skywalker, after all. Besides, I'm not following the Empire. I'm following _you._ " He pointed his finger over at the steely eyed young man to his left.

"Yeah, I've been getting that a lot lately," Leon muttered, rubbing the back of his head. He sighed. "Okay, fine. It's great to have you aboard, C." Leon held his hand out to the Skywalker, who grinned widely and took the hand, shaking it vehemently. Leon was almost relieved when the older man let go and let him turn to R2-D2. "And I bet you'll be a ton of help to have around, with as long as you've been on." Leon leaned closer to the droid. "Do you by chance know how to cheat at Pazaak?" The droid whistled quietly. "Awesome. You should teach me some time." Another affirmative round of beeps and whistles. Leon patted the droid's dome head and smiled. He had one of _the_ Skywalkers on his ship. A man who was thought dead and was, perhaps, the _only_ one of the Solo-Skywalker clan left in the galaxy. If that wasn't Force given destiny, what was?

"Sorry to break up this awestruck meeting and all, but which of these two damn dots do you want to go to first?" Deranis asked, interrupting Leon's train of thought and pulling up the map. Two red dots pulsed on opposite ends of the galactic spiral.

"Bring up the information on both locations," Leon commanded. He crossed his arms and winced, pain surging from his burnt shoulder. "Let's see what we'd be dealing with."

Erea nodded and pulled the information up. "Hm... Oh, _kriff_ ," she muttered as two dossiers popped up. The rest of the crew began to scan through the information, too.

"Oh, _kriff_ is right," Marien muttered. "Our choices are between an asteroid field owned by the Triumvirate branch of the Avesta Mining Corporation and Nar Shadaa? Well, I guess we're _karked_ either way."

"Why would we be worried about Nar Shadaa?" Leon asked confusedly.

Cade picked up. "You didn't hear? As soon as the war started, the Hutts declared a huge blockade of their space. Triumvirate, Empire – Hutts said no one could come in from either. All weapons are confiscated and no one with a lightsaber is even allowed on planet. Given this ship's history and reputation, we'd be lucky if they didn't shoot the _Crimson Eagle_ down as soon as we dropped out of hyperspace."

"Oh," Leon muttered. He looked at the other dot. "And the one in the asteroid belt? I'm betting Avesta Corp. wouldn't be excited to see us either."

"Oh. Yeah. That's Avesta's biggest score of the past six decades. They found it sometime last year and immediately began to guard it with a third of their security fleet," Erea explained, giving the crew the bullet points. "It'd be dumb to head there."

"True, however this is a smuggler ship. We could probably run that blockade and lose any tailing us in the asteroid belt," Deranis explained. He put his hand on his chin and frowned. "Not many are crazy enough to try and survive – help me droid?" Artoo whistled and beeped. "- three thousand, seven hundred and twenty to one odds. If we get past the blockade and land on one of the asteroids, we can hide out for a few hours. Then we can spacewalk over to the asteroid we're after and get at whatever is there."

"You make it sound easy," Cade muttered.

"Echani are trained to anticipate the flows of a battle. On top of that, two of you were trained by the upper echelons of Imperial Force Masters and one of you is a Skywalker. I'd say that reverses the odds," the white haired man said.

"Was that a joke?"Mari asked, a little surprised.

The Echani's face hardened. "I am a warrior who killed his first man at the age of seven. I am never _not_ serious," he growled. Though, Leon noted, the warrior couldn't hide the twinkle in his eye.

"Well then, everyone agreed we make the best of a terrible couple of choices and go fly right into an asteroid belt through a hail of turbo laser fire with the barest odds of success, all because one of us decided, 'Well, we've got a Skywalker. Might as well try?'" Leon asked, clapping his hands together. He raised his hand. "All for?"

The rest of the crew, sighing exasperatedly, raised their hands. Cade laughed. "Well, I maybe should've... _really_ just collected that bounty," he groaned to himself before doing the same. "Eh, what the _kark_? I'll die eventually."

SWSWSWSWSW

Leon groaned to himself as he sat in the gunner seat. "Who the kark was the first person who agreed to this?" he asked himself.

From the top gunner's seat drifted Marien's mocking retort, "That was you, Nerf Herder."

"It was rhetorical," he mumbled angrily. He groaned again and then began to focus on the gunner. He was doomed. They were about to fight a fleet of ships and die. There was no chance of survival, then. "We're doomed."

"We're dropping out of hyperspace in thirty seconds," Erea's voice called over the intercom. "You two get ready while Cade, Artoo, and I try not to die. You'll need help with that, actually. Keep them off of us, right?"

Twenty seconds passed. "Ten... nine... eight... oh, _kriff,_ was that thirty from when she said thirty, or from the end of -" Leon was cut off as the ship abruptly dropped from hyperspace. "From when she said thirty. Dammit."

The ship was immediately hailed by the commander of the fleet. Erea ignored it. The ship was hailed again. Erea ignored it again. Finally, the first huge, green turbolaser beam passed feet below Leon. Soon after, fighters scrambled in a "destroy" pattern. "Hope you guys are strapped it, we're taking this to maximum sublight!" Erea called, not even bothering with the intercom that time. Leon definitely was glad about it, actually, because as soon as the ship sped up he was jerked violently back into the seat.

A moment later, he recovered and began to take aim, firing off a stream of turbolaser fire into the mass of Enth wings, the bolts barely sliding past the maneuverable fighters and colliding with asteroids in the belt. Leon growled to himself and fired another bolt, this one crashing into one of the wings of a fighter, sending it careening into one of its allies. "Got two!" Leon shouted through the ship.

Mari immediately shot back. "Six!"

Leon narrowed his eyes. He _would_ _**win!**_ "If you get too many of them, they might follow us!" Erea pointed out over the intercom. "So slow it down until we get into the asteroid belt!"

Leon groaned. He would _lose_. "Fine," he replied into his headset before shooting just past another fighter. The bolt whistled through space, missing the fighter. On purpose, this time. "I _kriffing_ hate this."

"Eight!"

"She said slow down!" Leon shouted.

"Ten!"

The ship suddenly began to spin, Leon closing his eyes for a moment as the stars, laser fire, and asteroids began to spin just as wildly outside of the ship. "Could we try something else before I throw up all over the viewport?!" Leon screamed. A bolt of energy flashed just past his face. "Or keep going. Keep going is good!"

Leon turned in his seat, aiming the laser again and firing a green beam, crippling another ship. "Okay, we're entering the asteroid belt soon. Sweeping fire to get them off of our tail!" Erea commanded. Leon nodded to himself and swung the gunnery around until he was aimed at one end of the wall of fighters following the ship.

His finger depressed the trigger, sending a steady stream of bolts into space, cutting through the wall of ships and sending the fighters turning away from the asteroid belt. "And... we're in! Landing and powering down all nonessential systems. We're just across from out destination, so we should be good to go in an hour or two. Settle in. Stay quiet. And for Force's sake, don't use the Force to crash asteroids into each other unless it's completely _karking_ necessary."

"Eh, no promises," Cade's voice followed Erea's. Artoo whistled sarcastically. "He-ey!"

SWSWSWSWSW

Griffus watched the old man and the young woman while hidden in the shadows of the city buildings. The hood of the cloth jacket was pulled over his head, hiding him almost as much as he was by forcing his own Force signature deep into his gut. "I don't like this," he muttered to himself while playing with the stolen lightsaber on his belt. He turned his head towards the corpse of the Sith Knight nearby. "Well of course I don't. What? Well, she's still my sister, despite it all."

He looked over at his right shoulder, watching the duo without actively watching them. "Though I don't exactly have qualms about beheading the other one," he noted with a half chuckle. He glanced at the corpse again. "Torrus never saw eye to eye with Revan – tough, I guess no one really did with that mask and all. Killing him would be fun, even."

Griffus turned to stare at the corpse again. "Yes, yes. I can't attract too much attention, I know," the former Knight muttered to the body. He smiled to himself and pulled out a trigger. "Other places can, though." He glanced over at the freighter he was going to use to get off planet and smiled wider. "Boom!"

The ship exploded as he pushed the button. "Never have a plan that they can figure out," Griffus muttered to himself, watching happily as the two tracking him rushed towards the freighter. He sighed contentedly and walked out of the square towards a different space port. "I'm going to kill you if you follow me..." Griffus sing-songed to himself.

SWSWSWSWSW

Leon flipped over an incoming blaster bolt, batting back at his attacker as he did. When he landed he rolled across the ground until he was behind a all, blaster bolts flying past his head. "I feel like we got the raw end of this deal!" he shouted over the blaster fire at Marien.

The Chiss laughed, easily deflecting the blaster fire that was rushing at her. Leon couldn't believe how well she was doing; it seemed as if the energy of the battle was fueling the woman in a way he hadn't seen since he'd fought her himself. She was fully alive. She was either an adrenaline junky, he thought, or the Dark Side fed on fighting a _little_ too much. "Oh, just live a little!" the Chiss shouted, giddy. Leon half grimaced, but jumped out to continue to aid her in the distraction. The red blaster bolts flew around the two, some bouncing back at the soldiers attacking.

The Personal Security branch of Avesta Corp's activities was more like a semi-private military force than a squad of guards, with their armor allowing most of them to shrug off a few blaster bolts before falling in battle; honestly, the armor they were using was almost on level with that which Leon's former squad had been issued, though the blue and white design did nothing to strike fear into the enemy like the gaping maw of a grey-black monster. "How is this fun?!" Leon asked her as a blaster bolt flew a few millimeters past his ear, the heat from the plasma warming his face.

Mari's only response was a wild laugh as she slammed her saber into another bolt of energy. "You do realize we have to run, too, right?" Leon asked as he raised his saber in front of him and another bolt of red ricocheted away. He grabbed Mari's shoulder, pulling her around the corner so they could run. She grunted in surprise as they began to run.

"What was that for?" the Chiss asked.

"You're very good at this and all," Leon began as he continued to run, "but I'd rather not see you or me dead by a thousand blaster bolts." He stopped and turned around, gathering a ball of Force energy in his left hand.

"You guys finished downloading the Avesta Corporation's scans of the tech here?" Mari asked into her comm. Artoo whistled back over the line followed by a grunt of affirmation by Deranis.

"Finally!" Leon let go, exasperated. He shoved the ball of energy forward as the soldiers began to charge around the corner of the intersection. The wave of energy flew forward and outward, slamming into the walls of the hallway and blasting the first group of soldiers down the opposite direction of the hallway. There was an ominous _crash_ and a heavy hum as the walls began to pull outward from the force of the vacuum that was beginning to tear the air from within the facility; thin white streaks of moving air were visible along the hallway.

"What did you do that for?!" Mari asked grabbing the Knight's arm and pulling him along.

"I didn't think it'd be that strong!" Leon snapped back, letting the woman direct him through the facility. He looked up as they passed the next intersection, eyes lighting up. "Keep running and stop when we get to the next intersection. I'll get them all off of our tail."

The Chiss woman turned her head back at Leon for a moment before smiling. "Okay, crazy," she whispered, then turned again to watch her path. It was only a few seconds before the two were at the next intersection. "Now what?"

"I'm going to cause a catastrophic atmosphere leak in the hallway behind us," Leon said as he turned around. He gritted his teeth as he saw the Avesta Corp guards rushing at them. He didn't exactly _want_ to kill them all – it's not like they were actually Triral soldiers, after all – but he supposed it would be necessary. "As soon as I do, we have to get through the intersection and past the blast door that will fall to isolate the leak."

"Well, as long as I don't end up needing to replace my arm..." Marien joked, drawing a nervous chuckle from Leon. "Well – for luck!"

"Wha-?" Leon began, but he was cut off by a wild, if brief, kiss from the woman. He blinked in surprise when she pulled away, smiling. "What was –?"

"We need to go," Mari stated, gesturing at the hallway. Leon turned and nodded. He gathered another ball of Force energy in his hand and fired it towards the incoming soldiers.

"Now!" he shouted, grabbing Mari's arm as soon as he'd let the Force push go. He dragged her through the crossroad, jumping with her and rolling just past the falling blast door in the nick of time. He sighed in relief and sat up. "We made it, and in one piece this time!"

"Speak for yourself," Marien growled.

Leon turned and palled before grinning sheepishly. "Well, I mean at least it wasn't your organic arm," he supplied with as much apology as he could muster.

Mari snarled and sat up, leaving her fingers behind, crushed beneath the doorway. "Every. _Kriffing_. Time," she growled, pushing past Leon.

"I – sorry! Hey, at least you have extra parts on the ship, right!? Mari? Hey, wait up!"

SWSWSWSWSW

Lord Var fidgeted in the hangar, standing next to Vallen, who stood still like a marble statue. The two of them had been asked by Emperor Nernyn to meet as soon as he had arrived on Ruusan, drawing them unexpectedly from a Council meeting. The Gray Lord was terrified, sure that this had something to do with Leon's powerful, enigmatic visions regarding the late Darth Revan. Vallen was doing her best to be the one with the calm head, but it was obvious to her peer that she was just as worried as he was.

"The information that they gave us regarding Revan's Foundry was interesting. This 'Star Map' that they found on Kashyyyk – Revan had always been a proponent of the belief that there had been a society _before_ the advent of the Republic. Perhaps they left something more on other planets?" Var asked, attempting to calm himself before Nernyn arrived. "I would find it hard to believe that a society more advanced than our own by some twenty thousand years would not be present all across the galaxy."

"Indeed," Vallen replied, only half listening. Mostly she was concentrating her efforts outward, scanning for the Emperor.

"He isn't here yet," Var said. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, suddenly calming down. He sighed and leaned his head back -as well, closing his eyes. "It's not quite as imposing as Leon's arrival was. And, as much as I hate Nernyn, I have to admit there is... something striking about his aura. You know that, you know that we'll know the moment he enters the atmosphere of the planet. He's not one to hide himself; subtlety isn't his strong suit."

"How do you do that?" the Sith Lady asked, ignoring what Var had said. He opened his eyes to see her staring at him, scrutinizing him. Var raised his eyebrow and cocked his head to the side. She frowned. "You know. How do you just jump between that juvenile fool and unbendable steel at a moment's notice?"

"Well, I personally prefer the term 'young at heart,' myself," he responded caustically. He groaned and pushed off from the wall, hearing his shoulder crack as he stretched.

"Leon's better at it than me, honestly," Var said, his odd opening not even causing the woman to bat an eye. "I have to try to be 'The Gray Lord,' Kaireinia. Leon just flows, dark and light. They mix. It doesn't work nearly as well for me. I'm a little too angry, a little too afraid of change. I'm getting old!"

"We're the same age," Vallen cautioned, though Var could see she was smiling behind her cold eyes.

"Nothing against you. I'm aging faster, then," Var placated. He raised his hands in defense and earned a rare smile from the Sith. "I've failed terribly before, Kai, and it still hurts. I – He's here."

Vallen nodded and moved her gaze back to the sky. Var chuckled inwardly as he noticed that the woman looked as if she hadn't moved since they got in there while he, meanwhile, had moved around the entire hangar more than once. He took his place next to the woman and clasped his hands behind his back.

Emperor Nernyn's personal shuttle down from the _Krayt_ was a deep black lambda-class shuttle, a callback in design to the ones used during the Galactic Civil War nearly two hundred years earlier. As opposed to the relics of a long ended war, this machine was not designed with the same totalitarianism that the Empire had used in its designs then. Rather, Nernyn's shuttle, the _Interdictor_ , was built to elicit a primal fear with its much sharper edges and starlight gleam. The ship was a silent hunter built with surprisingly powerful armaments despite its purpose; it even landed with a barely audible hiss.

"Lord Nernyn," the two Masters muttered, bowing slightly as the Sith Lord made his way down the ramp of the shuttle. He was a man of average height and unknown species, a mask purposefully crafted by Revan for the use an unknown would have in spying and in personal missions. A dark robe was draped around the Sith Lord's shoulders, its cloak hiding all of his skin from any who tried to see him. The only parts of his body visible were the robotic fingers poking out from beneath his sleeves, another precaution to prevent identification during missions.

The man stopped before them, staring down at their bowing forms. "Where are your apprentices?" the Lord of the Sith asked. Var fought off his instinct to scoff that it wasn't _really_ the man's business. The apprentices of the Council were just that – the pupils of their masters, not of the Emperor, unless he took a vested interest. Revan had done as much with Frius, Griffus, and Jana at the start of his conquest.

"They are engaged in a mission – test, really – across the galaxy," Vallen supplied, letting Var swallow his indignance. Still, she let a little of her own slip out: "Why do you care?"

Nernyn stared at the two older warriors, not a single word echoing from his mouth. The longer he was quiet, the more it seemed to dilate time. Finally, it broke: "There is word of a group of 'deserters' traveling together in a black and red Correllian freighter. A certain black and red freighter which Revan abandoned on Coruscant."

Var was the first to respond this time. "Yes, that's them. 'Deserters,' as you said. They're tracking a Force relic for us," he explained, taking pains to not lie to the incredibly perceptive and powerful Sith Lord.

"Kashyyyk and the Avesta Mining Corporation. My sources in both regions of the Triumvirate say that a young human with a black lightsaber assaulted them, accompanied by a Chiss Sith, an Echani warrior, and a black jacketed bounty hunter and his droid." Var and Vallen were quiet. The Bounty Hunter had saved them, so the apprentices had decided to hire him themselves. Apparently he was quite capable. "That they survived an assault on Avesta, the Shadowlands of Kashyyyk, Aratech, _and_ Czerka in the span of a short few weeks is incredibly impressive. You trained them well, it seems."

Var looked around and sighed. "Do you wish to continue this elsewhere?" he asked, gesturing at the hangar around them.

"No. I came merely to speak with the masters of those two," the Lord of the Sith said. Var frowned – it certainly seemed Nernyn knew much more than he was letting on.

"What is it you want with our apprentices?" Vallen asked.

"I have a mission of utmost importance. I will be comandeering them for a short while, is that okay?" Nernyn asked, the insinuation that it was not a request was heavy in his voice. "Good. Have chambers ready for them and for myself as soon as they report in. I will be in touch soon."

With that, Nernyn turned on heel and marched right back up into his shuttle. As the shark-like ship drifted away, Var snarled to himself. "He could have done that over holo," he growled, turning and storming from the hangar. Vallen followed close behind. "We missed a council meeting for this."

"That was the idea," Vallen said, turning the corner beside him. "He can force us to do anything – he meant to put us in our place."

"Then let him. Our only worry should be in securing completely the loyalty of our students," Var muttered.

"Doron, be careful what you say," Vallen said, grabbing him by the shoulder and stopping him. She turned him to look at her, frowning at him. "But yes, you are right. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, we will speak with them about the true nature of what we are doing."

"I hope that isn't too late," Var replied.

SWSWSWSWSW

"I've been meaning to talk to you," Leon muttered while he finished changing into his sleeping clothes and stored his jacket and pants. There was a rustle in the shadows of the cargo hold and Leon turned around, brow furrowed. The Black Robed Man stood there, staring silently at the young man who stared back with an intensity that could melt Mandalorian iron.

"What about?" the Black Robed Man asked, not moving from the corner of the ship.

"Ever since you helped me in the Shadowlands, I've been wondering one thing. One incredible, insane, impossible question... How long have you been following me around, Revan?" Leon asked. He crossed his arms, revealing the presence of his lightsaber in his hand.

The Black Robed man laughed while he moved his head slowly upward, revealing the edges of the mask covering his face. The crimson and silver soon revealed themselves and, finally, came the unfeeling black slit of the eyes. "I was starting to worry you'd never get it," he replied, his grin audible. "My apprentice."


	21. Unseen Legacy

Leon stood statue still in the cargo hold, just staring at the being who just stared right on back. They were just silent, glaring at each other for an ever stretching period of time. Leon almost broke down a few times, though something always stopped him just as he breathed in to do so. This was, he realized, the moment where how much power Leon held in this relationship was revealed to the both of them. Finally, Revan broke the silence.

"Well, ask your questions, then. Force knows you must have quite a few," Darth Revan commanded. He pulled the hood down from over his mask and waited.

"How long have you been following me around, Revan?" Leon repeated, uncrossing his arms and letting them fall to his side. Revan, if he even _could_ kill anymore, had never threatened Leon before, so there was no reason to think he'd start at that moment.

"And how do you know it isn't _you_ dragging _me_ around, hm?" the dead Sith Lord asked, shrugging his robed shoulders and evading the question like it hadn't been asked. Though, of course, it had. Leon narrowed his eyes, annoyed. Revan sighed and acquiesced. "Fine. I've been 'following you' for the better part of the period since my death."

"A year?" Leon gasped. A year without talking to _anyone_? "Well then, why not reveal yourself to me sooner?"

"You were blind to the Force until the Triumvirate Jedi attacked your ship. As soon as you encountered that Jedi...," Revan explained, now pacing back and forth in the cargo hold. He stopped and his head bounced from side to side while he shrugged again. "Well, you just woke up."

"Can everyone else see or hear you?" Leon asked after a short pause.

"Would it make me any more or less real if they could?" the former Emperor asked, a hint of laughter in his throat. He shook his head and moved towards Leon, leaning against one of the lockers. "To answer your question, I'm not sure. I'd rather not find out if those who will eventually betray you can see me."

Something about that bugged Leon. He shook his head and pointed at the Sith Lord, halfway between accusatory and questioning. "Wait – Why don't you trust Mari? She was your friend and she didn't betray you," Leon pointed out. "The only reason she even helped us is because of you."

"And of that I am grateful. She was a great friend, perhaps the closest one I ever had until I began my hunt for Nihl. She helped me when I most needed it," he replied. Then Revan shook his head in disgust. "But she would have betrayed me eventually. There must always be one who is betrayed and betrays in turn, and I got that job."

Leon shook his head and turned around to place his lightsaber in the cargo locker. "Why are you following me? Why not go after the _schutta_ who killed you?" Leon asked as he slammed the locker shut, causing the metal to clash and echo through the ship.

" _'Schutta_ who...'" Quickly, Revan began to laugh and snapped his fingers – ghost or not, doing that in leather gloves was impressive – and said, "Oh, Ana. Well, I thought about it, but what would the fun in some short term haunting be? No. No, you're much better; the only Force signature in the entire galaxy this strong."

Leon glanced over at the Sith Lord. "I am?"

"Believe me, it sounds more fun than it is," Revan replied, staring at his gloved fingers as if glancing at his nails. He looked up at the surprised Leon. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed it. You defeated a fully trained Jedi Knight without any training in the ways of the Force. When things like that happen, the Force is watching you. Guiding you. Intriguing, isn't it?"

"If you say so," Leon said. He let out an angry sigh, unsure whether he could trust the words of someone who had blown up a _sun_ just to kill a half-fleet of Triumvirate ships. "But -"

"Why? Who knows," Revan replied. He glanced at the door. "Someone is coming."

Leon turned to glance at the door, then back at Revan. The Sith was gone. "You hiding out in here?" Mari asked as she walked in, her prosthetic completely repaired. Artoo had done a great job in doing the maintenance – something about 'so many masters who are bad at keeping their hands.' "Really, the hand's fine. You don't have to worry on my account."

Leon looked over at where Revan had been a moment before. Should he tell her at the risk of sounding insane? "Are you okay?" Mari asked again, snapping Leon out of his stupor. "You've been acting weird ever since we left Kashyyyk.

"W-what would you say if I told you I've been seeing Revan?" Leon asked the Chiss woman.

"Outside of your visions?" Mari asked.

Leon nodded. "Outside of my dreams," he confirmed.

Marien exhaled and Leon wasn't sure how she'd respond. "Is he here now?" she asked. Leon shook his head. "Well, I guess I'd believe you. You're crazy, that much is obvious, but you aren't _that_ crazy."

Leon clapped sarcastically at that. "Oh, give her a hand," he muttered.

The Sith Chiss growled at him, but he just laughed it off. A few moments later, she was laughing alongside him. "So what has he said about me, then?" Mari asked, immediately causing Leon to stop laughing. "Well?"

"N-not much," Leon replied. Mari's head fell, and Leon couldn't blame her. If he'd been an old friend of Darth Revan, he would have expected this close of quarters to inspire some sort of note on their friendship or a digression into shared memories. "But, when I figured out it was him I did ask him about you. He said you were his best friend and that you were always there when he needed you."

"Glad to see the Nerf Herder hasn't forgotten," Marien joked, stuffing her hands into her pockets and laughing to herself again. Leon forced out a laugh of agreement, still wondering why Revan no longer trusted this woman. " _Kriff_ , when did ghosts become believable?"

"Somewhere between me seeing the events of Darth Revan's life and curing you of genetically engineered Vongspore?" Leon suggested. He smiled at her and chuckled. "Maybe you just dropping into my – our lives out of nowhere?"

Mari blushed. "So..." she began, walking towards Leon. She placed her hand on the front of his shoulder – more the top of his chest really. "About earli-"

"Guys, we've got an incoming message," Erea said as she ran to the cargo hold's entrance. She narrowed her eyes as she saw Mari and Leon alone, closer than fraternization laws probably allowed. Though, those didn't apply to Knights, did they. "It's from Darth Nernyn, so get your stuff back on and look presentable."

Leon and Mari glanced at each other. "Um, ladies first," he said, walking past her and out of the cargo hold.

SWSWSWSWSW

Leon ran into the main room, buttoning the last button of his replacement jacket and smoothing his hair to a more Emperor-worthy calm. "And it appears the last of your crew has finally appeared," a woman's voice came from the holo-comm. The young Knight froze and barely held in a sigh of annoyance.

"Admiral Thraak," he murmured, bowing to the High Admiral of the Imperial Fleet. Rather than a meeting – albeit one across star systems – with the Emperor, Leon and his crew were being relegated to receiving a message from one of his subordinates. Regardless of that subordinate's own power, it spoke to him that the crew was not nearly as valued as he had hoped they would be after all they had done in their short time together.

Still, he comforted himself, the Grand Amiral herself was nothing to slouch at. A veteran who had risen to her position after the deaths of the half-dozen Admirals who had, apparently, only been good for the stagnation of constant peacetime. She was a wartime leader and it was abundantly clear in her features. Her steely eyes may have been only a half-shade darker than Leon's were, but they were surrounded by features a thousand shades harsher. Despite only being in her mid fifties, the human woman had the lines in her face of someone who had lived a life of hard, endless work. She didn't seem to care, though, as she was still incredibly devoted to it. "Commander Reht. It's good to meet you again," she replied. She frowned, remembering the day. "I was sorry to hear about Captain Tarava. He was a good soldier."

Leon nodded somberly. "Thank you, Ma'am," he muttered. He glanced around at the rest of the crew who had remained quiet. Knowing that the woman contacting them preferred the blunt, direct approach of a soldier to the winding, knowledge inlaid paths of true Sith and Knights, he moved on without a moment's notice. "What did you want from us, Ma'am?"

The Admiral smiled slightly, just as Leon had known she would. While he certainly had learned to... _appreciate_ the slow, multifaceted approach he was of a mind with her – blunt, direct talk that could be taken at face value was a definite improvement over the half-truths and veiled realities the Grey Council took such interest in feeding their apprentices. "Very well, Commander," the woman replied, the grin reaching her hoarse voice in a way that Leon was sure only he, Deranis, and Erea heard – soldiers through and through. "The official reports state that your crew is responsible for the recovery of the data and intelligence that was present aboard the _Jagged Fel_?"

Leon nodded. "Yes, that's correct," Erea said, drawing a half-cursory glance from the Admiral.

"Unfortunately, it would seem that some of the data on the datachip has been discovered," the Admiral explained, her gaze falling back on Leon. A normal woman without the distinction of Special Forces service would not even register on the radar of people who deserved Thraak's valuable time. The hologram's eyes narrowed slightly on Leon, focusing on the one that all others present deferred to – whether by choice or by implicit instinct. "One would have to ask – _how_? No one is pointing fingers, understand, but the Triumvirate chatter and activity has been picking up for months. Ever since your return to Imperial space, actually.

"Two secret research locations from the drive – _only_ present in the form of data on the drive or in the possession of Lord Nernyn himself at any time – have gone silent. Missions and assaults planned for months suddenly faltered. Others have been quite successful, so we are sure that they do not have all the information – perhaps a heavily encrypted copy."

"Do you want us to find out who did this?" Mari asked, her knuckles audibly popping as she clenched her fist.

Thraak looked over and shook her head. "No, we already have our top counter intelligence officers hard at work on piecing that together. However, one of the silent locations was centered on experimental cloning tech – far beyond what even the Kaminoans used all those centuries ago," the Admiral explained, outlining the mission bit by bit. Her eyes passed over everyone present before, again, settling on Leon. "We were incredibly surprised when some of the same breakthroughs made at that facility were reported by our spies within the Triumviracy."

"So you want us to go there and..? What, exactly?" Deranis asked, crossing his arms and frowning.

"Destroy it. Leave not a trace save the data you find and take with you," the Admiral said, raising her hand towards the unseen shutoff for the call. "The facility is present on Corellia, deep in Triumvirate Space. Which, not coincidentally, is why your nature as... an unaffiliated crew is of the utmost import.

"The Emperor will not look kindly upon failure, though you do not seem accustomed to failure anyways. May the Force be with you, Gray Knight." And, like that, she signed off.

Leon was quiet for a moment, then grinned. "I have my own intelligence reference code name!" he cheered to himself, earning groans from all present.

SWSWSWSWSW

Leon's dreams were not concerned with Revan's rage, for once. Not with the painful holodrama that raised the painful question of whether the man had been moral or a monster. Leon did not see the dead Sith order a destroyer into collision with another, sending the fragments raining down on an inhabited village for months after. Leon was not party to Revan's public trials by combat of all the Jedi, Imperial Knights, and traitorous Sith who had been caught. He did not see Revan toy with them in battles streamed across the Holonet for the amusement of the Empire and the horror of the Triumvirates.

For a half second, before what truly occupied Leon's night, he saw a single moment. A frame of the late Emperor's life playing out before him. Memories of a party. There was a Twi'lek, a blue skinned, agreeable man with a large grin. A cocky smiling human in orange punching the laughing alien in the arm. And there was a woman, a flash of red that was so very familiar. Ana Gann, Leon knew.

But that was quickly gone.

"Do know how many sapients there are in the galaxy?" a voice asked. Var. Leon noticed in the furthest back of his mind that this was _his_ memory, not Revan's. The world came into being. Leon sat before the Gray Councilor, dressed uncomfortably in the still brand new robes marking him as an apprentice. It was his first lesson.

"Um... no," Leon replied, unsure why it mattered.

"Trillions upon trillions. If not quadrillions," his teacher pointed out. He sighed. "How many are Force Sensitive?"

"Um... Trillions?"

Var laughed, a hearty sound. "No, no. Maybe a billion, if we're being generous," the man explained, still chuckling slightly. "Of that billion, there are perhaps a few tens of million with the possible capability of using the Force in any substantial way. Of that, only a few million have the psychological traits necessary to use it, call to it."

"So?"

"So, going further," Var explained, shaking his head at his new disciple's thoughtlessness. "There are maybe – _maybe_ – a hundred thousand in the Empire and Triumviracy who sneak past both group's sights. Of that hundred thousand, we find maybe five, both sides total."

Leon was quiet for a moment, still unsure what this was supposed to teach. "... So?"

"So?! So!" the teacher shouted, bewildered but enjoying seeing the cluelessness with which he would have to deal with. "So, two of you on the same day just show up. How is _that_ for coincidence?"

Leon grinned, as if he had caught someone in a trap. "I thought there were no coincidences."

Var smiled proudly. "Right you are. So how is it that one of a thousand of a billion of a trillion found his way here with another one of a thousand of a billion of a trillion?" he asked, letting his apprentice stew in the question.

Though he hadn't known it at the time, Leon had become sure that he knew exactly why this had all happened, now. As his sleep returned and the world went black, he knew in his heart of hearts... he _knew_ that all of this had to be the doing of Darth Revan, the quiet shadow who had warned Leon of the dangers of the people he cared for the most – even those that Revan had trusted at the time of his death. Darth Revan had chosen Leon to blindly rush down this path towards... something.

But why?

His power? Maybe, though he was sure there were other, better choices. More experienced, more clever choices. Or younger, more easily molded ones with just as much power. Ones that would be less inclined to trust those whom Revan perceived as a threat.

Perhaps it was because Revan had been an orphan, tossed to the road and abandoned by the death of his parents at a young age, his life torn apart by the earliest, least public strikes of the war that now raged across the galaxy. Leon had also lost his parents in that conflict as it spread. Both victims, perhaps?

No, again. Leon felt that was closer, or perhaps the two melded into a facet of the argument, but he just wasn't sure.

So then why him? What was Revan hoping to gain from the son of a Stormtrooper from Entralla? And what was the dead man's endgame?

These questions, and more, faded away as Leon's mind returned to its sleep.

SWSWSWSWSW

Until the ship suddenly and violently landed, the mountain wind whipping across the hull all too audible inside the ship. Finally, Leon, still wearing his gear, lightsaber tucked beneath the bunk with his snow-gear, opened his eyes irritably. He yawned deep and sat up, stretching his arms towards the low ceiling above him. He honestly considered drifting back to sleep, even with as fitful as it had been. He ultimately just went with the feeling, collapsing onto the pillow again and sighing contentedly.

"Well, I'm glad to see that the Gray Knight is letting everyone else do all the work," a woman's voice called from the door. Mari.

Leon smiled. "Well, I learned from the best," he groaned, pushing himself up and grinning, a pure and shining smile. "After all, Var only ever has to sit around and try not to fall asleep in Council meetings. I think I'll just ignore the trying not to sleep thing, myself."

"Good to know you'd be putting your own spin on tradition," the Chiss woman replied, putting one hand on her hip and leaning her mechanical one against the wall. She put her weight on the metal limb, crossing her opposite leg behind the other and resting her toes on the floor. Leon found himself staring, regardless of the fact that her body was covered in the bulky snow gear, the only visible body mass beneath the clothes being her hands and her neck upward.

With a slight burning in his cheeks he laughed, dispelling the fire in his throat. "And you? Will you start skulking around, appearing out of the shadows, and – wait. Do you think that Darth Vallen and Var..?"

Mari's face began to burn then, too. "Of, Force. That's a weird thought," she mumbled back before she began laughing, the peals infecting Leon until he began to snicker in tandem with her. "Oh, and it's so disturbingly obvious in hindsight. If they aren't, they definitely _did_. Oof."

"How do a longtime Sith Lord and someone who joined Revan two years ago hit it off?" Leon asked, thinking it through. "'Oh, hello. I like long walks on the beach and murdering my enemies?'"

Mari raised an eyebrow, not laughing at that. "What?" Leon asked, earning a few short snickers from her. It was at that moment that Leon noticed she wasn't quite as similar to her master as he was to his. Vallen, in voice and in body and in mind, was a harsh, unforgiving thing. The Chiss woman was, meanwhile, full of the hidden anger necessary for a Sith to thrive, but with none of the corruption and cool disaffection that Vallen practiced even around her closest – if not _only_ – friend. "Eh, get over yourself." Leon swung his feet from the bunk, no longer nearly as tiered as he had been moments earlier, and opened the storage.

His snow gear was markedly less thick than Mari's. Without a mechanical hand to freeze in the snow, he had to worry less about the temperature. Not that his uniform wouldn't keep him warm. The jacket was very similar to the one he wore right then, though it was black rather than gray. Tauntaun or Wampa fur, Leon wasn't quite sure which, puffed out on the lapel of the jacket and around the throat, up to his chin. The lining of the hood dangling from the back, too, was filled with the stuff. Other than that, he had a pair of boots with a warm, waterproof lining and a pair of snow trousers, gray, that would go over his current pants. "Uh, you said you wanted to talk about something earlier?" he asked as he slid the pants on and sat down to tie his boots. He finished tying one, then stopped and looked up at Mari. He rested his arm on his right knee and remained hunched over slightly to get back to tying his shoe.

"Oh..." she began with a flinch, returning her mind to the events in the cargo hold. Leon finished tying his other boot and stood up, shrugging his ordinary jacket off – how had he even slept in that? He paused again when he held his snow jacket before him, staring over at Mari with a waiting expression. "Um... let's talk about it later. We have a mission to complete."

Leon frowned, but still swept the jacket around his shoulder and onto his arms, the tail of it passing just a few inches from Mari's nose during the ostentatious display the young man had done for mere fun. Regardless of what he thought, Mari herself knew that he was vastly different from the man at whose feet he had studied. Var, Vallen had explained, was very good at presenting a jovial and friendly face. A mask of good will, when beneath there was a fiery rage that would only be released upon the one who had betrayed him the most. Leon had none of that. True, he was occasionally angry and there was a stream of Dark emotions in him – more than Mari expected at times – but the jovial and deceptively good hearted man who was around most of the time was not a mask. He was the real Leon, not the blind rage that had poked its head out on Coruscant what seemed like a short lifetime ago. "Well," he said, raising his arm. There was a slight clatter for a moment before Leon's saber flew into his outstretched hand. He clipped it to his jacket, zipped it up, and threw on the gloves. "Let's go... 'joke about clones?'"

Mari rolled her eyes. A child. Perhaps that was the best description for the man before her. She stared for a short while and coughed, feeling her cheeks burning. "Let's go... 'joke about clones?'" she said, her copy of his joke earning a laugh from Leon if just for the spirit of it.


	22. The First Betrayal

Van leaned back in his desk chair, finally having a little time to catch up on the sleep he'd been consistently and purposefully ignoring since the Triumvirate had lost track of the original data from the _Jagged Fel_. And, seeing as the Sith had the original, he didn't doubt that some of the information that they hadn't cracked yet was well on its way to being obsolete. Bases moved, weapons disappeared, spies dead, or plans enacted before the Triumvirate hackers broke the ever changing encryption algorithm – theAdmiral was even willing to bet that some of them had been already.

Sure, the fact that the Triumvirate had their hands on any of the data meant that a lot of it was being done too early by the Sith. A _lot_ earlier than the original author of the data had planned. Van may have alternated between hating the guy's guts and missing the person he used to be, but he'd always begrudgingly admit that the Theron he'd originally met who couldn't be bothered to even try to understand the use of a battle plan had gone a _kark_ of a long way before his death. If he'd survived the assassination attempt, Van was sure the war would already be over; Revan may have still been learning and growing, but he'd probably been even better at battle than Van was at his peak.

Van groaned as the thoughts of his dead – in more than one way – friend crossed his mind. Obviously, this wasn't going to be the first night in a week he'd gotten to sleep before three in the morning. He yawned, exhausted despite himself, and activated the lights in his office. He sighed, trying to will himself to rest again but failing; Admiral Taas pulled up a few files he had to review.

He immediately shut them, knowing that – despite being Grand Admiral and entitled to _all_ military and scientific information relevant to the war – he was being kept in the dark with so much by the Triumvirates. They fed him information from the drive as it was broken, on a 'need to know' basis, and he – again, _Grand Admiral_ – didn't need to know. Besides, he was sure that the data he was being fed and acting on was only what they wanted him to see. For the hundredth time, he wondered what it would have been like if he'd went with Revan all those years ago. Sure, he'd have betrayed everything he'd ever stood for. And, hey, he'd probably have died by Nernyn's hand in the tumultuous period of succession that gave the Triumvirate a foothold. But... he'd have had all the information he'd been entitled to. For the one hundred and first time, he decided it was better this way.

There was a low chirp and he looked up at the opening channel. "Ah. Ana, it's been... a very long time," he muttered, voice hoarse. He ran a hand through his hair and plastered on his old cocky grin that couldn't reach his eyes anymore. "What's going on?"

The woman on the table frowned and crossed her arms. "Okay, you know how I said don't send anyone after my agent's group?" she asked.

"I vaguely remember you saying that the information was too important," Van replied. He shook his head and began to mock his friend. "Lemme guess? Send someone?"

Ana Gann growled, something that would cow most men, but Van was used to it; he just snickered back at her. He felt more awake than he had in three weeks. "Okay, okay. What's the problem, and what do I need to send?" he asked, grinning.

"The Triumvirate gave me explicit instructions regarding information that they wanted kept secret, and explicit instructions about when it was okay to reveal any information to you," Ana said. She glanced off to her right, staring into – what was, for Van – a wall. Her gaze returned to the Admiral. "You are to send a small cadre of the most skilled fighters in the military – in this case, at least ten Jedi and or Imperial Knights as well as a squadron of special forces – to the location that I will designate. With those soldiers, you will give the order to capture all members of the Sith squad alive and supply them with the agent's recall code for post-capture release. The agent will fight against them to the best of the agent's ability in order to ensure that the cover remains intact in case anything goes wrong. Upon sending the group with these orders, you will immediately contact the three Triumvirs, sending only the code 1138 dash Resh Vev Nern das dash 20 18 14. If you understand, repeat the instructions back to me, priority code Zerek."

Van's eyes widened. Priority Zerek was... well, it wasn't to be ignored. "Ten plus sabers, squad of spec ops. Don't kill. Recall code. Triumvirs 1138-ReshVevNern-THQ-20 18 14. Satisfactory?"

Ana nodded. "On Corellia in the Nomad Mountain range, exact coordinates will be given with recall code, is a Cloning Lab that has been used by the Triumvirate for quick, high value replacement of targets within Imperial and Imperial-aligned groups since before the war. If relevant data is stolen, all of the sleeper agent clones will be killed. If the location is destroyed, one of the Triumvirate's greatest strengths in this war will disappear like mist. The Sith strike group _cannot_ be allowed to escape, nor can they be allowed to die. These are both also Priority Zerek directive of the Triumvirate mission given directly to me by the Grand Master, Grand Moff, and GA Chancellor. Data incoming. When you have the agent, we'll meet again in person; until then – no contact. See you soon."

And, with that, Ana's visage disappeared from the table and Van was left even more in the dark than before. Still, the location data and recall code both showed up. He pulled up his comms to the shift-sergeant. "Get me the first available ten Jedi and the nearest Spec Ops squad to Corellia, Priority Zerek. We have no time to waste: _Move!_ "

SWSWSWSWSW

"All I'm saying is, what happened to the Gungans?" Leon asked as they trekked through the snowy forest on the mountain and towards the cloning lab. "It's like they just... disappeared!"

"So?" Deranis asked, bored with the direction of the conversation.

"So? So Jar Jar Binks was a hero of the Clone Wars and the senator of Naboo! What happened to him? What happened to the rest of them?" Leon asked.

"Hopefully we'll never find out," Mari said. "But I'm personally pulling for they're all dead."

"Careful, your Sith is showing," Erea said, barely audible over a howl of wind that threw snow up around the group.

They'd been hiking through the snowy forest for almost an hour, yet to reach the only entrance to the cloning lab on the planet – a well-guarded cavern with no way to sneak in. Unfortunately, the Trirals would see them coming and there was little to nothing they could do about that. "Artoo, is there any comms traffic the _Eagle_ can detect? Any mention of us?" Cade asked, trying to break off the conversation before it went any deeper. The droid responded in a low, wavering _whoo_. "Good. Contact us _immediately_ if that changes, kay buddy?" Artoo whistled and chirped a sarcastic affirmative.

Taking the hint, Leon sighed and checked the map on his datapad. "We're getting close," he said, marching up the slope and stuffing the handheld back into his pocket. He fiddled with the lightsaber on his belt momentarily, holding the inactive cylinder at his side. "Weapons ready."

He reached the top of the hill, coming into view of the cave. There were two, barely visible soldiers clad entirely in white maybe a hundred meters out. The only reason they were visible was due to the black rifles they had crossed in front of their bodies as they turned from side to side, slowly checking for any intruders. Leon crouched down as one's gaze neared him and he was slowly passed over.

Leon turned back to Deranis, smiling. For once, he was glad the half-insane half-Echani had been so insistent about wearing only his pure white armor. "A real warrior needs nothing to defeat the elements," he had said, "save his mind."

"You're up. Don't miss," Leon ordered, earning a grin from the merc. Deranis walked past Leon to the very top of the hill and crouched down. The Echani warrior pressed a few buttons on his blaster rifle, altering the firing specifications, and placed a thermal scope on the top.

"Echani don't miss," he simply replied as he lined up his shot on the first soldier. He swung his blaster back and forth a few times between the guards and a hint of a smile crept onto his face. He squeezed the trigger, a bolt flying through the air. The next bolt was shot before the first had even impacted with its target, flying – also unerringly – towards the second guard. Both were flung back by the impact, slumping dead and disappearing into the white of the snow. "We're ready to go."

"Good," Leon replied. There was a series of four _snap-hiss_ es as Leon's saber ignited and was quickly followed by Cade's single blade and Mari's doublesaber. "When we get in there, Deranis and Mari will head down to the lab itself. Use the explosives we're carrying and anything you can rig together to send it sky high. Cade, Erea, and I will download any relevant data we can. Exit in two hours – latest. Set explosives for five minutes after." He led the group down to the cave.

"Admiral Thraak said that the lab'll most likely be on the deepest levels," Mari said as they entered the cave, pulling down her hood and unzipping her jacket as she did. "As for data, I'm guessing it's somewhere in the upper levels, at the top of the mountain. That way, if the facility's under attack, they can collect as much as they need during the escape and make a quick exit onto a hyperdrive equipped shuttle in some sort of secret hangar bay."

"We'll head north, you two go south?" Leon asked. "Or do you two think the guards will be heavier down there than in the data room?" He strapped his saber back to his hip and pulled his gloves off before stuffing them in his pocket. He hesitantly grabbed his saber, hissing at the chill.

"Hm. If you're pained by that, you need it more than we do," Deranis shot. Leon glared at the Echani even while his allies all snickered.

"I thought Echani didn't make jokes," Leon retorted quietly. He sighed and ignitedhis saber. "Fine. We all know what we're doing – ready?"

"Let's go," Mari said with a nod. She motioned for Deranis to follow her and the two made their way down the cavern.

Leon glanced between Cade and Erea. "Okay, we should warn Artoo we might not be able to contact him until we're out of the mountain. Cade – tell him to set the warning on repeat if necessary, then we'll head in."

"Aye aye," Cade replied, an old pirate's grin sneaking onto his face and the matching accent into his voice.

SWSWSWSWSW

"Well, yes, I _know_ that whatever it is that Revan's power is following is on Corellia. I can see that," Griffus muttered to the air behind his shoulder. He continued typing into the datapad. There was a pause. "No, no. Corellia would be the opposite of where I want to go. Lord Revan's _already_ there. I need to find out where he's _going_ to be."

He stopped typing and looked over his shoulder. He listened intently for a moment, then laughed loudly for a long time. No one could hear him, given that the original crew and passengers of the freighter were currently varying levels of frozen solid after being spaced light-years earlier. "Well, you said it – not me," Griffus said before returning to his datapad. He input something else into the datapad and frowned. "Hm... Kashyyyk, Asteroids in the Rim, and now Corellia? What do these have in common?"

He turned. "You have an idea? What?" the mostly-insane former Knight of the Empire asked, waiting calmly. "Ooh. I didn't think of that!"

Griffus turned back to the datapad, accessing the Holonet slowly as he did. He made his way into the old rumor mills that were so prevalent on the Net about Revan's whereabouts before the war. Revan himself used to laugh at the many speculations, though he would also often become eerily quiet and angry with himself when he saw something even resembling the truth. From the times Griffus had seen his Master on the Net, a pattern had started to become evident. "Yes... yes... Kashyyyk and the asteroid belt... hm... ah, here we are. No, what? Secretly trying to defend against an extragalactic dictatorship? No. Technology, maybe. So the next place to wait is... ah, here we are."

He glanced up and laughed. "Of course!" he responded to the air. "I'll be waiting at this... Lehon for Revan's influence to arrive."

SWSWSWSWSW

Leon barreled down the hallway, twisting between bolts flying through the air. He would, every so often, batter the ones that got too close away and into the walls. The black blade flashed with each collision, releasing its hidden, pent up energy with every deflection. Still, he was barely able to block a few well placed shots that flew at him; the guards of the cloning facility were special ops and incredibly good at their jobs. Were he any other Knight assaulting the cloning lab, he was sure that he would have already failed. Luckily Leon wasn't just any other Knight. "The Gray Knight," he mumbled to himself with a wide grin as he fell backwards to slide beneath a series of blaster bolts. He regained his footing quickly and brought his saber up to deflect another volley.

"Kid, you're probably insane," Cade's voice came in Leon's ear, slightly static-y from the comms unit. Leon laughed in response as he neared the troops that were firing at him.

"Call me whatever you want as long as you and Erea get all the data," Leon responded as he flipped over the next wave of blasts, deflecting those that came too close with a butterfly slash. That was when he noticed what the guards were... "All Nikto guards? Ah, _kriff_..."

"What's wrong?" Erea asked, concerned.

Leon didn't respond, too busy deflecting the blow from one of the six guards now surrounding him. The crew had been wondering why there were so few guards within the upper levels of the mountain facility, and now it was obvious to Leon – the Triumvirate had somehow managed to get a collection of Morgukai on their side. Leon supposed that the strength of the Sith Empire was what they wanted to test themselves against, given their predilections for honor and glory. Well, now he had the misfortune of seeing that same thirst for glory first hand.

"Sure we can't talk about this?" Leon asked with a sheepish grin. He barely moved in time to flip over the next series of swipes and stabs. "Okay, strong but silent types – me too, me too. Though, I guess you wouldn't be able to tell. I mean, talking is just... Okay, I guess this _does_ kind of disprove that." He flipped backwards, feeling a sharp tug as his jacket was slashed down the back by one of the Nikto guards, and handsprung back to stand apart from the warriors and give himself better odds – three on one rather than six on one. This gave him a good chance to study his new enemies.

There were six Nikto Morgukai in all, each one holding a huge vibrosword in one hand, blasters left against the ground once their foe had gotten close enough. Each wore non-standard armor – or perhaps it was standard for the cloning lab – that Leon was sure was made out of either some sort of cortosis weave or other lightsaber-resistant material. Each one looked like he'd survived a dozen battles with a lightsaber, facial protrusions slashed apart and burn marks etched into their faces. If they had those scars and survived, Leon doubted that whoever had given them those scars lived to tell the tale.

That was when Leon understood. These weren't _Morgukai_ Nikto, but they probably had Morgukai training. Exiles, of a sort, likely due to their continuing aid towards the Triumvirate. They had given up their cortosis staffs, or had been stripped of them, for aiding one side of the war against the other; the Morgukai hated Jedi and Sith alike, to side with either would be a form of heresy. Leon flipped his saber to a backhand and instinctively reached for a blaster at his hip – an old, useless reflex from when he'd used them during his Special Forces days. He made a mental note to start carrying a pistol from then on. "No use now," he growled at himself for his stupidity. He held his saber before him and growled, waiting for the assault while he gathered a blast of Force energy in his off hand. "Hope this workds."

He let the blast go, groaning as the ex-Morgukai warriors let the wave pass over them. A few of them stumbled a step or two back, but mostly ignored it. He had to find some way to make this battle more lopsided in his favor. He held his hand out, thinking quickly, and closed his fist. There was a loud, wrenching noise and the hallway was suddenly constricted to the size that would barely allow a single Nikto to pass through, much less six angry guards. "Now, let's see how you guys can do one on one," Leon snarled, moving towards the entrance and crushing the hallway behind the guards as well, forcing them to fight him head on instead of searching for another way through.

The first made it through, stabbing at Leon and taking a chunk of his trailing jacket with his sword. "Oh, so, pretty well then," Leon admitted as he rolled to his feet, lashing out with his saber at his enemy's legs. The large Nikto, with surprising agility, jumped over the attack and brought his sword down at Leon, who batted the weapon aside and rolled out of the way of the feet crashing down towards him. Leon caught a glimpse of the second Nikto beginning to struggle through the small hole in the wall. " _Kriff_."

Leon scrabbled to his feet, sidestepping the next blow. There was a flash of black cloth standing in the corner, the man's Mask glaring down at Leon. "I don't have time to deal with you," Leon suddenly snapped at the Nikto, anger flaring up in his gut. He instinctively raised his hand, the frustration running through his entire body. He was slightly surprised with a torrent of Force Lightning erupted from his hand, traveling down the metal hallway. The first Morgukai jumped to the side, eyes widened in surpise; the lightning continued to fly through the air, quickly frying the Nikto that was trying to get through the hallway. His corpse stopped seizing after a moment, clogging the pathway into the hall.

Leon stumbled backwards as his anger left him. "H-how did I-?" he began, but was cut off by a wild, angry attack by the first guard. He bent below the attack, only to be kneed in the face by his opponent. He flew back through the hall, saber deactivating as his feet left the ground. He tumbled and rolled painfully across the metal until eventually finding his footing. Even as he did, however, the Morgukai was already on top of him, slamming down with his saber. Leon sidestepped the blow, bringing his blade defensively around his body to ward off the incoming kick and to block the vibrosword rushing at him.

Leon knew he was doomed if he didn't win soon. He lashed out with his leg, causing the Morgukai to jump backwards. Leon then did the same, giving himself more than enough breathing room down the length of the hall. How had he been able to summon Force lightning? And, for that matter, how had that Lightning been able to hurt the Force resistant Morgukai? He looked around and understood: Force lightning had its own voltage rather than just being pure Force energy. So could he learn to channel that energy again? He searched for the rage in his gut, but nothing came. So he'd have to use something else that would hurt the Morgukai.

Leon raised his hand again, just as he had when he'd crushed the hallway. The Morgukai screamed in rage and ran forward, not wanting his quarry to flee. Leon sighed. "Right into my trap," he muttered. Then he closed his hand, sending the metal of the hallway rushing inward to cut the Nikto warrior in half. There was a loud squelching noise as his blood rushed from his body and his tissue was slowly shredded in half. The Nikto screamed in pain as he fell apart, bone and muscle breaking down and blood pooling around his upper half as it slowly died.

Leon looked around for Revan's Force ghost again, but he didn't appear. "You guys almost done? I think I've taken out all the guards up here," Leon said into his commlink. There was static for a moment, and Leon almost began to panic. "Cade? Erea?"

"Ah, stop. We're just waiting on the download to finish," Cade said. "Don't be _stoopa_ and start panicking now, Kid."

"Good, then I'll meet you guys back at the exit site," Leon replied, deactivating his saber and clipping it to his hip. "See you soon."

SWSWSWSWSW

Leon paced up and down the cavern, waiting for his crew to arrive. He'd been waiting for probably fifteen, twenty minutes for any of them to arrive and had yet to see any of them. "You've been wondering how you used Force Lightning, haven't you?" Revan asked, melting out of the shadows. Leon glared at the Ghost; Leon had noticed that the dead man, ever since he'd been found out, was more open about appearing suddenly and inexplicably.

"Well, I've not exactly been able to do it before," Leon replied, stopping to turn towards the Sith Lord. "Then you appear out of nowhere, probably grinning like a Nexu behind that mask, and I kill five Morgukai in half as many seconds?"

"You weren't this surprised when you entered Force trances on the _Jagged Fel_ and on Coruscant," Revan replied simply. "You didn't think twice on it, actually."

Leon's eyes widened. "That was you? How? Why?" Leon asked desperately.

"Why not? You interest me, and I wouldn't want my only form of entertainment in this afterlife to die before I get my credits' worth," Revan explained, crossing his arms and cocking his head to one side as if he were grinning. Leon shook his head, wanting the truth; Revan sighed. "That's actually the truth. You let me in to save you, subconsciously. You let me channel my rage, my anger through you. You learned the Force when whatever mental blocks there were in your mind shattered from the pure adrenaline when you met the Jedi.

Leon sighed and flipped his long range comms on again to check if Artoo was sending a signal from outside the mountain. He was immediately bombarded with urgent chirps and whistles announcing that the _Eagle_ was no longer alone. Leon's stomach dropped and he turned around to be greeted by a familiar and unwelcome face.

"You!" the blond Jedi snarled, igniting his yellow blade. "Where is my saber?"

"Gone, somewhere," Leon replied with a cocky grin, his black blade also igniting. This guy again? Wouldn't be _too_ difficult with all his training.

"Freeze," a third voice said. Leon groaned as nine more lightsaber blades appeared in the blizzard outside.

"Oh, just great," Leon sighed as the ten Jedi and Imperial Knights – all clad in huge, fur lined robes, entered the cave and glared at him. A squad of blaster rifles followed – Special Operations Unit. " _Kriffing. Great."_

SWSWSWSWSW

Leon glared up at the Jedi that held him in check, their sabers crossed just beneath his chin. Thankfully, neither of them were the blond one who looked like he was all of one breath away from stabbing Leon in the chest. The Jedi glanced between one another. The three were the only ones there, the only ones guarding Leon; the unit had broken apart to hunt for the rest of Leon's crew in the bowels of the mountain. Leon silently willed them to get to the hangar and leave him behind, maybe mount an escape. With the Jedi so close he couldn't contact his friends with the Force, but he could hope.

One of the Jedi fidgeted uncomfortably, his saber buzzing uncomfortably close to Leon's throat. "Hey, watch it!" Leon ordered. "I'd like to keep my head, if you don't mind."

"Braeden," the fidgety Jedi said.

"It wouldn't be him," the Jedi snarled as he glared down at his enemy.

"But we should check – _before_ you try to murder him. Calm yourself, resist the Dark Side," the other Jedi said, supporting his ally. Braeden, as the blond was apparently known, shot a glare at the two... then nodded. The three Jedi turned back to Leon, who was still kneeling with his hands behind his head. "Recall code?"

Leon's eyes widened. A spy recall code? They were looking for a Triumvirate Spy _within_ his team? But... but who could it be? "Recall code?" Leon breathed, suddenly feeling hollow. The seconds ticked by. It felt like an eternity as he ran through a thousand different moments in his mind, a thousand different fears as he replayed ever moment that he had known his friends – his crew. They were friends, all of them, and one of them was a traitor – a spy?

Cade? He was a former hero of the Triumvirate. Helped make it, right? Did he still hold some form of loyalty to it despite having been 'dead' for decades? He was a Jedi, but he didn't exactly see eye to eye with them. Nor did he seem fond of the Sith, on the other hand. Was he even the _real_ Cade Skywalker?

Could it be Deranis? Could his loyalty be bought by the highest bidder, or would his honor defeat any offer to be a spy? As an Echani, he was a tactician at heart. He was meant to read his opponents in battle, and he had seen Leon and his crew in battle many times. Had seen what they wanted with Revan, something the Triumvirate wasn't even supposed to guess at.

Maybe Erea – what did any of them know about her really? She said she was a former aide to a Knight who had died aboard the _Jagged Fel_ , records had even checked out. Though, if the Triumvirate wanted a spy, Leon doubted they couldn't figure out how to fake records. She could just as easily be an intelligence agent under deep cover as she could be an actual soldier. She _had_ begged him to leave the Jedi alive – something that was, yet again, coming around to bite him.

Or... or was it Marien? The blue woman _had_ appeared out of the blue on Coruscant, like it had been planned. She claimed she hated the Triumvirate, that they had abandoned and ignored the people of the galaxy. But... she had lied to Leon before, hidden who she was well enough he couldn't even tell that it was her before trying to kill him – all under orders, just like a spy. But Leon couldn't believe it was her. It couldn't be... right?

Leon had trusted them all, explicitly and implicitly, but one of them had... How could anyone who had traveled with him, who had seen what the galaxy was like under the Triumvirate's control want to be on the side of the enemy? The Triumvirate had obviously known where the gangs had been in the mid-levels, yet had done nothing about them. They had encouraged the atmosphere that had led Lorso to try and ransom a child. They'd... They had... They'd _killed_ everyone that Leon had ever loved or cared about. They were evil, it was that simple.

"Hello? Last chance – recall code," the Jedi said. Leon didn't respond. The Jedi sighed and looked up. "He's n-"

Leon roared in rage, a burst of energy flying from his body. The Jedi wasn't even capable of screaming in pain before he, and his partner, were dissipated in a cloud of red mist. Leon's saber fell through the air, already in his hand as he jumped right at Braeden. The Jedi snarled and brought his saber up, their weapons clashing in a blast of brilliant light. Leon knew he was giving control over to Revan, but he didn't care. He was too angry to struggle for control. He just wanted to _kill_.

"Finally. The Monster shows its face," Braeden said wickedly, shoving off against Leon and bringing his saber around to slash at the Knight's head. Leon ducked beneath the blow and, without a word, slashed upward. Their weapons clashed as the Jedi deflected the blow and brought his leg around to slam his knee into Leon's face. He raised his arm and caught the blow with his shoulder, rolling it off before sweeping out with his leg to knock the Jedi's leg out from under him.

As the Jedi jumped into the air, flipping and landing on the ground nearby, he snarled. "You've come a long way since you escaped me last," the Jedi spat, raising his replacement saber in front of him. "But so have I." He rushed forward, meeting the attacking Leon head on and flipping over the wild blow that ran through the air and burned through the wall of the cave. The yellow saber came down, just past Leon's defenses... only to have his wrist grabbed by the Jedi was quickly sent flying through the air, flipping and sliding across the ground. Before he stopped, his saber was reignited and he was sprinting towards Leon again.

A wall of Force energy flew from the Jedi's hand, the energy dispersed after just a moment by a stream of white and black Force Lightning that crashed into the wall and shattered a chunk of the durable stone. "You won't survive this meeting," the Jedi snapped, loosing another Force wave. Leon let this one collide with him, though he just ran through it, causing his jacket to ripple out behind him. His saber swung around in a wide circle, multiple times clashing with the yellow blade of the Jedi. The Jedi launched into his own volley of attacks, struggling to find an opening in Leon's defense. None such opportunities appeared.

"Die!" Leon screamed, the rough, raging voice not his own as he began to assault his enemy anew. He brought his saber down and began to batter it against his opponent's, the assault causing the Jedi to fall to his knees. The Jedi barely resisted the attack, but somehow was able to keep himself alive.

As the lightsabers locked together, the Jedi snarled and grinned. "The red eyes of a Sith. You will all be exterminated, Monster!" the Jedi screamed.

Leon's eyes widened, rage only increasing. "No. _You_ and all you stand for will fall. Burn before me like a field, until there is nothing left of you – not body, not mind, not soul, and not memory. That will be my revenge," he snarled, the words coming from his deepest, darkest reaches. "Now die!" His foot lashed out, catching the Jedi in the jaw and sending him flying. The Jedi's lightsaber clattered uselessly against the ground, deactivated.

As Leon advanced on him, he was stopped by the sound of his name being called. "Leon! Leon!" Mari called, catching up to him, lightsaber active.

Leon whirled on her, eyes still red. He turned back to the Jedi. "Who is the traitor?" he asked as the rest of his crew came into sight.

"Traitor?" Cade asked. He frowned. "There's a spy in your group."

"It could be any one of you!" Leon snapped over his shoulder, lowering his weapon to the Jedi. "Tell me... or die."

The Jedi didn't respond, so Leon lowered his saber, slowly, through the man's forearm. "Tell me."

"I don't know," the man spat through gritted teeth.

Erea finally spoke up. "We don't have time for this. There are Jedi and Spec Ops on our tail right now, so we can deal with this later," she urged. Leon didn't even bother turning. "Leon, we need to run!"

"Just what the spy would say!" Leon snarled, burying his saber even deeper in the Jedi's arm.

"No, she's right," Mari agreed, stunning Leon. They hated each other. "We have to get out of here. And, besides, even if one of us is the spy that means the other isn't. This is the best play, Leon."

Leon glared over his shoulder at them. He so wanted to kill this Jedi, because leaving him alive just kept coming back to be a huge problem. He couldn't leave him alive again. Yet he had to save his crew that weren't traitors – his friends..? No, he had to run.

But it was just like Revan had said. He had been betrayed, betrayed by those he had held to be his closest friends. They all deserved to die for that, suffer forever for betraying him. He wouldn't recognize those that didn't and those that did betray him – all that mattered was that the real traitor be punished.

Leon's eyes fell half-shut and he shivered, as if he was fighting some sort of massive internal battle. He lashed out with his foot, kicking the Jedi in the face and standing straight up. He looked like he was going to attack for a moment, then his shoulders sagged and he swayed dangerously. "F-fine. You win," he groaned, falling into the blackness of unconsciousness.


	23. Traitor Revealed

Leon stood at the beginning of an endless expanse of white, staring off into an ocean of pitch black darkness. Opposite him, much further in to the darkness, was a man clothed completely in black and armored robes that seemed to melt from the emptiness around him to clothe him in shadow. Leon glanced down at his own body to see he wore a set of gray robes that shifted formlessly around his body, dancing across the border of light and dark in some kind of unseen wind.

"All you had to do," the other man said, slowly gliding towards Leon, "was hold off on uselessly fighting me for just a few more minutes."

Leon growled. "I wasn't about to let you kill my friends, Revan," Leon retorted. He wanted to walk towards the fallen warrior, but found something within him was keeping him from crossing that divide between darkness and light.

"You can't catch a traitor without killing a few of the loyal ones. It's a sad truth," Revan snapped, stopping an arm's length away from Leon. The dead man's mask burned in fiery contrast with the endless abyss behind it. "Their deaths would have been the kindling upon which all you despise would have burnt."

"It would also have meant the end of my friends," Leon said resolutely.

"Of your friends, or of _her_?" Revan asked. He slowly let his hand fall to his waist; a red saber ignited, though its glow did not cast shadows or illumination upon the empty blackness. Revan twirled it around slowly, staring at the trail of dark red "She who is the most dangerous of all these... fools that you travel with. A half-Echani at war with his own blood, a foolish old man who has hidden since he lost what he loved the most. A redhead – you should know how I feel about _karking_ redheads. But no, it's the woman. For all that the galaxy says they so _need_ it for safety and security and survival, the addiction that people mistake for 'love' is the most terrifying thing in existence. It blinds you to power and knowledge. Take the power of the Dark Side. Destroy them all and there will be nothing in my way."

"Interesting choice of words," Leon growled. He pulled his lightsaber from his hip and ignited it. The black blade thrummed and hissed as he moved it to angle directly at Revan. "Your way?"

"You are my path. My path is for your success, to teach all of my considerable knowledge, as I have thus far done," Revan explained with a dissatisfied sigh. "I have taught you so much and you squander it – you have not learned from the mistakes I suffered through."

"Maybe you just learned the wrong lessons," Leon responded coolly. "Not everyone is going to betray you."

"Oh, but I've seen it, little Sith," Revan taunted. The lightsaber at his side hissed as it was turned off, slowly clipped back into the endless folds of the robe.

"Seen what?" Leon asked, still pointing his own weapon at Revan. The dead Emperor just laughed knowingly, cruelly, in response. "Seen _what_!?"

"Oh, Leon Reht, before all is said and done, you will feel the pain I have felt," Revan replied, his voice a mocking song. "By the time my vengeance is completed, you will be betrayed three times."

"I don't believe you," Leon responded.

"Once by friend," Revan said, ignoring the Knight.

"It's almost like you can see the future – or you know there's a spy in my crew. Wow!" Leon mocked.

"Once by lover," Revan continued, taking a step closer, toeing the edge of light and dark.

"Just because you were?"

Revan halted for a moment, glaring at the young man before him. "I will not suffer insolence boy," Revan warned, causing Leon to falter in fear slightly. Revan took a step across the divide, gripping Leon's face in his suddenly visible hands. "You shall, at the last, be betrayed by yourself. Then, and only then, will your path to the Dark Side be complete.

"But for now, awaken. See the first of the betrayals that awaits you, Little Sith," Revan said, shoving Leon. The Knight wobbled wildly, falling backwards. He continued to fall, drifting through the floor and staring up at the fallen Sith whose gaze never left Leon's. Despite the distance between them, Leon could still hear Revan's voice. "Awaken and feel my pain."

SWSWSWSWSW

Leon groaned in pain as he awoke. His head was splitting and, even without opening is eyes, the room was way too bright. "Ow. Ow ow ow ow ow," he groaned, putting his hands over his eyes. "Ow."

"Well, you're finally awake," someone said. A weight slowly pressed down on the side of the bed and a smooth hand rested on Leon's arm. "I – _We_ were worried for a while, there."

"Thanks," Leon sighed. He took his opposite arm from his eye and placed his hand on the woman's. "Glad that 'everyone' was worried, Mari." He opened his uncovered eye to look at the blushing Chiss. "You okay?"

"The one in the medbay is asking if I'm okay?" she replied with a sarcastic grin. "You Nerf Herding moron."

" _Stang,_ " Leon said, grinning back at her. "Fine, I won't ask again."

"Good," she said, smiling. She frowned. "And you? How're you feeling?"

"Well my head feels like the Death Star after a hotshot pilot," Leon described, earning a laugh from the Chiss. "Otherwise? Fine. What happened? I remember fighting that Jedi then... what else?"

"You found out there's a spy and you threatened us before torturing a Jedi and passing out," Mari related the events dryly and quickly. "Do you know how hard it is to carry an unconscious Knight through a blizzard? Don't faint next time, okay?"

"You're not angry I threatened you?" Leon asked, a little shocked.

"Well, same thing happened to me during training. Dark Side does that to people the first time they taste it. Just don't do it again or I'll chop your legs off and feed them to you," Mari threatened, her face darkening. Leon stared, afraid and uncomfortable for a moment, until she smiled and returned to normal. "But I doubt that'll be a problem – once we find out who the _kriffing_ spy is."

"Works for me," Leon said. He lifted Mari's hand and slid his arm from his face. "So... you wanted to talk to me about something earlier, right? Back before the Corellia thing."

Mari blanched. "Oh. Yeah. You see, when I – when _we_ – kissed back at the, uh, the uh..." she stumbled, her face turning a shade of purple. "The -"

"The asteroid? What about it?" Leon asked, his ears burning. "It was nice."

The Sith Chiss blushed and laughed. "Good. I thought you performed adequately as well," she said.

"Oh, I think you might be remembering it wrong then," Leon said with a laugh, earning a smirk from the woman.

"Really?" she asked.

"Yes. I think you thought it didn't go on long enough," Leon remarked.

"Oh, really?" she asked. She turned in her seat on the bed and placed her prosthetic down atop the sheets. "I don't think you know what I want."

"I think you know what you want," Leon replied. Mari rolled her eyes and laughed, Leon laughing too.

"Okay. It wasn't bad," Mari admitted, lightly slapping Leon's cheek.

"Good. I aim to -" Leon's words were cut off as she snaked her hand to the back of his neck and leaned down, mouth slightly parted. His eyes widened when their lips met– _Sneaking up on me again!_ – for a moment before he settled into it. His hands drifted up and settled on her cheek and lower back.

"Well, maybe he's finally awa – Whoa! Are we interrupting?" Cade asked as the door hissed open. Mari immediately shot up, leaving a half-dazed Leon with a grin on his face behind. The Bounty Hunter Jedi just laughed once. "HA! Nobody can resist the ones with blue hair."

Through this, Erea just glared at the two of them. "That's unprofessional," she finally said, stepping through the door after Cade, followed quickly by Deranis and a whistling Artoo making some joke about organics.

"What? We're Knights, not _kriffing_ soldiers – there's no laws against it," Mari responded, glaring at the soldier.

Leon sighed. Moment. Passed. "Okay, okay, calm down. Both of you," Leon said, pushing himself into a sitting position. "Where are we?"

"Ruusan," Erea said, her gaze not leaving Mari's. "You've been passed out for days."

"We've been worried," Mari said, also not shifting her angry stare from Erea.

"Good eye contact. Both of you," Leon groaned, causing both women to glance down in embarrassment. Leon sighed and shook his head. "Fine. Why are we here then? Surely you could have just dropped the info off for the Emperor's retinue and we'd be off to... wherever."

"That _was_ the plan," Deranis said, grumpy. "Instead, the Emperor wants to meet us himself and we've been stuck here doing _nothing_ the entire time. The battlefield calls and we've had to wait for someone who does none of his own battles anymore. Say what you will of Revan, but he was dedicated to his war."

"So when's he supposed to get here?" Leon asked.

"Serendipitously, today," Cade replied. He grinned at the young Knight. "You have got some oddly amazing timing, Kid."

"Hooray for me," Leon groaned. His head was starting to ring again – the adrenaline and other chemicals from the sudden kiss now leaving his system slightly worse for wear than when they had found it. "Fine. Get me whatever... robes they want me to wear and I'll get ready." He looked around at the sloppily dressed crew. "Hey, you all should change, too. You guys look like you just woke up!" The room was quiet. "Oh. Right. I guess that would be me, too."

"Okay, lover boy, you're still right. Let's go," Cade said, opening the door. As the crew began to leave he tossed a look back at him and the slightly hesitant Mari. "Oh, _were_ we interrupting?"

"Ha ha," the Chiss said. She glanced down at Leon as the door closed. "Um... yeah. See you soon." She stood up and walked through the door, glancing again back at Leon for a second, smiling slightly, before waving goodbye.

SWSWSWSWSW

Nernyn smiled as his ship set down in the hangar bay of the Ruusan academy. It hadn't been long since he had been there last, ordering the councilors to send their apprentices to Corellia. He hadn't honestly expected them to survive, it was more about just putting the Council in its place; they had to understand that they served _him_ , regardless of their wishes. He had most of the information that the Triumvirate had, and their cloning lab was years behind the Empire's. Yet somehow this group of... strange little people survived. No, thrived. They had managed to find more than a few things that Nernyn hadn't even expected.

That worried him.

The Force made its own will known through 'coincidence' all too often. What was its plan for a former soldier who did not discover his own power until he was far beyond the age that most were originally trained. Most were raised, whether it had been amongst the Jedi, Sith, or Imperial Knights, amongst the Force. This boy had not. He was dangerous.

Nernyn laughed. Boy. At what point had people _his own age_ become like children to him? What an odd feeling it was to notice that about himself. He walked down the ramp, walking right past the group that had been sent to greet him. Children. At what point had he started relating more to the old, easily used tools like his apprentice, or Stauen?

"Where are they?" he asked as he neared a captain scurrying about. The Twi'lek woman stopped and shuddered, frozen. Nernyn's anger flashed and the woman was suddenly clutching at her throat. "The group expecting me. Where are they?"

The woman pointed down the hallway. "Good," Nernyn said, walking past the captain, who continued to struggle vainly against the invisible vice on her throat. A few moments later, as the Lord of the Sith turned the corner of the hall, there was an echoing _crack_ as her head twisted suddenly to one side.

Nernyn stopped in front of the door, rooted in place. There was an intense feeling behind the metal wall before him. A pressure that grew in the back of his mind. "I feel a presence I haven't sensed since..." Nernyn shook his head, unsure which it was. He could only pin down that it had been almost a year since he had last felt this energy and that it was connected so intrinsically to that of his old master. "Revan. Your games never cease, do they?"

The Sith snarled to himself, resisting the urge to find another useless soldier to kill. "Fine. Here we go," he growled as he walked through the opening door.

SWSWSWSWSW

The Emperor of the Sith was a foreboding, impressive presence. He seemed to be just around the same height as Leon himself was, but the Knight couldn't help but feel small every time the Sith Lord moved. His presence was oppressive, even at a distance, and he hid his every feature beneath his dark cloak. Only his gleaming yellow eyes glared out from beneath his hood.

Leon sensed his master tensing up beside him, a dark current of hate flowing from him and around the room. "Be careful around the Emperor. He could snap at anything at any moment, so try not to give him reason to direct that energy towards you," Var had warned his student shortly before the Emperor's arrival. "Otherwise, you won't survive the day."

Leon had heard stories of Nernyn's brutality since joining the service. Captains and even Admirals who had failed too seriously or too often – or just failed on the wrong day – suddenly had their commissions brutally terminated. The rumors said that entire units of soldiers would disappear and eventually reappear with a tenth of their numbers missing. Nernyn ruled entirely upon the basis of how much fear he could create in his Empire. No one challenged him, but there was beginning to be a severe lack of experienced commanders in the Imperial Military since Revan's death.

"Impressive group," the Emperor muttered as he neared, his glowing eyes passing over every member of the crew. His head cocked to the side when he finished and his eyes narrowed. "Oddly familiar group."

"We all see what is familiar in the new," Vallen remarked coldly from Mari's side on the opposite end of room. The two masters stood at either end of the line of the crew, glaring at the Sith Lord.

"They definitely _do_ fill certain... roles," Darth Nernyn remarked, walking down the line and examining each crew member. He stopped in front of Leon, the last in the line, and examined him more closely. "Familiar ones. Dangerous ones."

Leon didn't respond, though he did not turn his gaze from the Emperor's. "Brave, aren't we?" the Emperor said. Leon clenched his jaw but didn't respond. Something in his gut just didn't sit right with the Emperor; he didn't trust the black clad Sith, though he couldn't quite put his finger on why. The black hood grew closer and the scent of metal wafted out from beneath it. "Though, I suppose that would be inevitable from one who..." The Emperor twisted suddenly, his crimson lightsaber clashing against a white blade. Leon froze, staring at the robotic prosthetic clutching the red saber, his eyes drifting along the length of the white blade.

"Ana Gann. You almost had me fooled," the Emperor said, glaring down at Erea Naga who clutched the white saber in her hand. There was a wave of energy and Leon felt himself thrown back, colliding with the wall and groaning. His eyes raised to see the Emperor had not moved despite the blow, though his cloak was rustling still, revealing his many prosthesis. Both arms, a leg. Maybe more. "Almost."

Leon stared at the event taking place before him. Erea Naga, who had helped him escape the _Fel_ and Coruscant, was the spy. And not just any spy, she was... She was _her_? The Regicide? The Traitor? He had traveled with the most wanted face in the Empire and not known? He scrabbled to his feet and rushed to check the rest of his crew. Deranis was shaking off the effects of the throw, while Cade leaned against the wall, a lazy observer. Mari had gotten the worst of it, slamming her head into the wall and immediately falling unconscious. Leon swore she had the absolute worst luck, sometimes.

"Won't matter once you're dead and the war's over," Ana growled, an orange shoto igniting in her off hand. She brought the blade down at Nernyn, preparing to kill him. A second blade erupted from the saber in Nernyn's hand, blocking the orange weapon.

"Yes, because Revan's death ended the war like _that_ ," the Emperor taunted. He raised his hand, throwing the attacking Jedi back. She flipped in the air and landed feet first on the wall before launching herself at Nernyn again. "But what's that compared to the chance at killing Master and Apprentice both? Though I doubt the rush that comes from killing a former lover can ever be met again."

Ana didn't respond, instead locking blades with Nernyn again. His lightsaber came up, the graceful movement barely moving his cloak that had settled around his shoulders again. "But I doubt that the Force will smile upon you twice."


	24. Clean Up Your Own Mistakes

Leon watched the events unfolding before him, transfixed. The Sith Emperor was barely moving, deflecting each incoming blow from Erea – _Ana!_ He reminded himself – with the barest minimum of movement. His every block was made almost faster than Leon could even see. On top of that, it looked like the Emperor was moving at the absolute last moment, but still arriving at the precise location necessary to protect himself. Despite his obvious advantage, however, he never attacked nor used his other hand in his movements to defend himself. The red blades merely flashed and spun from the black, slightly curved hilt.

"Come now, you don't really think you can win this, Ana?" the Emperor's voice came from beneath his hood. His robotic arm moved in a blur to deflect both the orange and white blades that came at his head, both crashing against the red of the secondary blade of his weapon.

"To merely fight is often a sign of greater strength," the woman responded, spinning around the Emperor.

Leon glanced over at Lord Var, who was quivering in rage. "Apprentice..." he growled in a low voice, staring at the red headed woman assaulting the Emperor. But he held his rage in check – like all in the room, Doron Var knew that the Emperor would not take kindly to assistance, believing only the weak needed it or offered it. But Var also knew that the Emperor had no interest in defeating Ana Gann; she was far beneath the Emperor and, thus, to defeat her would be an endeavor of no glory. So he turned to his new apprentice and glared at the young man whose attention was fixed on the lightning fast battle once more. It would be his duty, not Lord Var's, to defeat the traitor – spy.

Leon turned back to the blue woman leaning against the wall as she groaned, finally waking up. "Mari, are you okay?" he asked, crouching down and placing his hand on her shoulder.

The Chiss shook her head quickly, clearing her head. "Knew I hated her for a good reason," the woman growled to herself. Her eyes flew open, a dull orange instead of their usual fiery red. She started to her feet, but Leon held her down and shook his head. She glanced over his shoulder and saw the Emperor. She looked back at Leon and nodded; she understood.

"Oh, Ana. Still holding onto relics such as this? That crystal of the man who you loved, betrayed, and killed?" the Emperor asked, breaking the monotonous noises of the saber clashes, sparking and hissing as the red, orange, and yellow screamed through the air. She did not respond, instead focusing on killing the Emperor. "Hm... this bores me."

The Emperor flicked his wrist, sending the woman flying through the metal door he himself had walked through just moments before. Ana tumbled across the ground until she hit the wall. Her head flew up and she threw herself down the hall. "Emperor, why are you letting her go?" Leon asked.

The baleful yellow orbs turned to him. "You speak out of turn, apprentice," the man hissed, chilling Leon to the marrow. Then the oppressive darkness Leon hadn't even noticed a moment before disappeared. The voice became lighter. 'Cheerier' was the closest – yet still completely wrong – descriptor. "I am not letting her go. I merely believe that a problem should be dealt with by those who did not prevent it." The Emperor's gaze was cast over each of the crew in turn.

Leon froze and turned his gaze to Lord Var. The human's eyes were uncharacteristically dark, the blood red of a Sith. Var nodded, and Leon sprang into action. "She'll be heading for a ship – probably the Eagle if she can get it. It's the only one that could get out of the system before the code to destroy it would be processed and it's the only one she knows the hangar entry code for. Cade, Mari, head to the hangar and wait for her. Deranis, get Artoo to the command center and funnel her right for the Eagle's hangar bay – but the route needs to be roundabout enough that Mari and Cade get there first."

"No. I want a shot at her," the Chiss growled.

Leon looked down at her. "No. That's my job," he replied. "I'll chase her right into you guys. Remember, capture, not kill. She's too valuable a symbol and a source of information just to kill without the galaxy at large seeing her brought to justice." Leon stepped back and drew his lightsaber. He was not giving any of them space to argue. "I'll make sure she doesn't get to the hangar before you guys. Now go."

SWSWSWSWSW

Leon sprinted down the halls of the academy, black robes billowing behind him as he reached speeds most normal humans couldn't reach even if they trained every day. "I'm on her tail, I'm pretty sure. Are you and Artoo in the control center?"

"Yeah. We've been slowing her down for a good five minutes, so you should catch up with her any second. We can see you on the feeds – turn right at the next intersection, you'll meet up with her two intersections down," the Echani said in Leon's ear. The Knight nodded curtly and cut the comm, hoping Ana hadn't circumvented their block of her comm yet. It wouldn't take too long for her to do it, but any amount of time would mean Leon was one step closer to heading her off.

"Right," Leon said, planting his foot and shooting sideways through the air. He spun around an engineer that was carrying some equipment down the hallway, nearly bashing his skull in on the edges of the machine – what looked like protocol droid parts – as he did so. He ignored the droid parts as they clattered against the metal floor and continued running. He passed the first intersection. "One."

He heard footsteps other than his own clattering down the next hallway and he readied himself. "Two." He leaped forward, his body colliding with the Jedi in her Imperial Formal uniform. The two of them tumbled together down the next intersection, lightsabers automatically self-extinguishing.

Leon rolled to his feet first, his black blade igniting even as his toes touched the ground. "How could you do this to us!?" he snapped, swinging his saber back behind him as he crouched, sliding with palm and boots level against the ground to stop as quickly as possible. "You – you would do this to us? We were your friends!"

"Stopping the Empire from destroying the galaxy is far too important," Ana responded, not bothering to ignite her weapons despite the danger posed by Leon. She shook her head. "You're going to die if you fight me. I've survived battle with Darth Revan, the greatest duelist of the modern age; you don't have a hope in the galaxy to stand up against me."

"That didn't stop you from fighting the Emperor," Leon retorted, rushing towards the spy. He brought the weapon around, trying to decapitate her.

He was stopped a mere moment in by the orange shoto as it ignited. The woman quickly spun into a counterattack, white blade igniting and whipping around at Leon's head. His style of combat seemed to be ideal against hers, though, as he leaned back slightly and watched the saber fly over his head. He swung his fist around, but Ana merely disengaged and flipped back to avoid the attack. "I'd always suspected that you fought like that," Ana muttered, twirling her twin sabers so that the white blade was in a forehand grip and the shoto was in a backhand.

Leon narrowed his eyes. "Well, it's something of my own creation," he said. "Didn't think it was that obvious, even to the one who killed the Revan."

"Hm," she laughed in reply. She rushed at Leon, her backhand blade arcing through the air in a saber throw. Leon dodged the flying weapon and tossed his saber to his off hand. As he rolled to his feet, his weapon collided with the white saber that rushed down, emitting a brilliant flash of white light. "No, it's your creation." The hairs on the back of Leon's neck began to stand and he shoved Ana away with a quick Force blast, causing her to stumble. He leaned back, the orange shoto returning to its master through where his head had been moments before.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, turning his backbend into a roll back to his feet. He spun his blade around behind his back in a flourish then transferred the momentum into a backhand strike in his right hand. His weapon came at Ana with high momentum, so she was tossed to the side when her two weapons came up to black.

She went with the force of the blow, however, and flipped through the air to rebound off the wall. As she jumped at Leon, she held her two sabers before her and spun, delivering a powerful blow that he was barely able to misdirect to the side using his own weapon and his telekinesis. Even still, he felt an intense burn on his upper left arm. "That just healed!" he snapped. The burn was intense, but he was still able to use the arm. He had to be more careful, otherwise the more experienced fighter would take advantage of his blunders – even if they were good moves. Like an Echani, he had to think twenty moves ahead right now. Also like an Echani, he had to understand everything about his opponent from this fight.

Ana was fighting with a forced lack of passion, which meant that she actually had cared about betraying the crew. On the other hand, her ferocity was unmatched by any Triumvirate warrior Leon had ever met; he'd go so far as to say she would be skirting the dark side if she wasn't so calm. She was dedicated to destroying him – she wasn't even trying to distract him and make a break for it at this point. "Your fighting style is just like that of someone else I knew, a long time ago," she finally replied, raising her weapons before her in a defensive _X_. Leon growled. Revan. "Revan."

"Great minds, I guess," Leon said. He raised his weapon, still in a backhand grip, and placed his empty, open palm at the weapon's pommel. "No wonder you've survived this long against me."

The spy actually laughed at that. "Funny. I was about to say the same about you," she responded. She moved suddenly, pointing the pommels of her weapons at the Knight. His eyes widened in surprise as the orange and white balls of energy flew at him, something he hadn't been prepared for. He was barely able to follow his instincts in time to move between the shots and raise his saber to deflect the last one. Ana's eyes narrowed. "Or maybe that's not the only reason."

"Why did you help me get off the _Fel_ if you were a traitor the whole time?" Leon asked from his crouching position. Ana didn't respond, so he shouted it. "Why did you help me!?"

"It was my mission to get that data. I recognized a chance in you to kill the Emperor," Ana said quietly, humoring the Knight. "I failed. And I failed in my attempts to keep that Jedi Knight from the _Fel_ from Falling because of you. It seems corruption is the only thing – " She shook her head and rushed at Leon again, their blades hissing against each other after a brief, violent clash.

"Corruption is the only thing that can follow you," Leon finished, finally eliciting a reaction from the woman. She lashed out with her leg, trying to land a blow on the Knight's chest, though he sidestepped the blow and backhanded the woman to rush away. He had been able to get one good strike on her, but that was only because he'd distracted her. He needed to lure her towards Mari and Cade so he could get the upper hand in the fight.

"Directions. Now."

"Uh – okay, here we go," Deranis said in his ear, listing off the turns to get to the hangar where Cade and Mari waited. Leon followed them, though he kept himself slow enough that the spy following him on his tail. Then an orange lightsaber cut through the wall, showering him with sparks. " _KRIFF!"_

Leon jumped, turning around and deflecting a volley of white blaster bolts. He landed back on his feet and continued at his full speed. " _Kriff kriff kriff kriff – KARK!_ " Another lightsaber throw sailed just past his legs. "Stop with that!"

"How close am I?" Leon growled into his comm, swinging his saber instinctively to deflect another white blaster bolt.

"Next left turn," Deranis growled back. Artoo whistled and whooped in the background. "Yes, he knows you closed the doors!"

"Thanks. See you if I don't die," Leon said, cutting the line and turning on his heel in time to speed down the next intersection. He jolted when he was met by a red lightsaber and a green one.

"Oh, it's you," Cade said, grinning. "Where's the girl, Kid?"

Leon gestured over his shoulder at the Jedi who exploded around the corner. "That tell you?" he asked, turning around and raising his weapon into a defensive stance.

Ana skidded to a halt, eyes wide. " _Kark_ ," she muttered, angling her sabers in front of her.

Mari acted first, rushing towards Ana with her red doublesaber whirling and clashing with the two weapons of the Jedi. Ana jumped past the continuing assault, landing a blow with her elbow on Mari's temple and moving on. Leon jumped right, coming around to attack while Cade went left. Ana blocked both the incoming blows, pushing the weapons together to the ground in front of her during the lock and holding them there with her shoto. She then brought her white saber up and around to deflect the incoming blow from Mari before firing a bolt from the weapon's hilt right at Cade. The Skywalker ducked beneath the incoming fire, extinguishing his blade and rolling back to his feet to reignite it.

Leon pulled his own weapon free next, bringing it around only to be blocked by Ana again. "I told you that you can't win," she said, pushing her orange saber into Leon's and forcing his back to the wall. She lashed out with her leg at Mari, the Chiss moving around the blow and twirling her saber defensively. Leon gasped in pain as the lightsabers began to buzz against his shoulder.

"Now let me go, or I kill him," Ana stated simply to the Sith and former Jedi before her.

"What?" Mari asked, stopping the spin of her blade and letting it rest behind her robotic arm.

"Don't do it," Leon ordered, shoving back against Ana. In response, she buried her white saber into his gut. She pulled her orange shoto away even as Leon dropped his own weapon to the ground, deactivated.

"GARGH!" he screamed, fighting the instinct to clutch at the wound where the lightsaber still remained. He panted, pain rocketing through his body.

Mari took a step towards him instinctively as he screamed in pain, but Ana raised her shoto again. "Believe me, I don't want to kill him. But I will," she said simply.

Leon shook his head at Mari as she considered it. It looked like she was going to give in. "Shock her," he demanded, raising his arm to grab hold of the Jedi's wrist. His fingers wrapped around her arm, stopping her sudden jerk backwards and, more importantly, holding her defensive weapon in place.

Mari understood immediately, raising her hands before her and launching a barrage of purple Force Lightning. Leon screamed in tandem with Ana as the energy traveled down their bodies. The lightsaber sticking out of his gut deactivated and Ana let go of him, writhing in pain. As her point of contact with him disappeared, the lightning stopped coursing through his body. "Ouch," he groaned as the world went black.

SWSWSWSWSW

Ana Gann meditated silently in the plasma cube cell, the only noise the dull thrumming of the thin, orange matter enclosing her. Her captors had taken her Imperial uniform from her, replacing it with dull brown robes that some Jedi deserters cast aside when joining the academy. The room outside of her cell was completely black, hidden and unknowable. The woman bet she was in some sort of torture room or VIP prison block, though, given her accommodations. She had a bed that – despite being in a prison – was more comfortable than what she was used to at the Jedi Temple. Though, it was awful compared to the luxurious beds in the compartments of the _Eagle_.

"Ask what you want," she commanded without opening her eyes. There was no response. "I know you are there, Master. Don't think our bond is so easily severed." She stood up and turned around to gaze into the shadows beyond her cell.

The lights in the room flickered on, revealing a man in gray robes. He didn't look much older than he had almost four years earlier. In the time since arriving at Ruusan, she'd always made sure to never look him in the eye, to never reveal her face to the man. If Leon hadn't been so powerful in the Force so as to drown her own connection with the man out, she would have been discovered regardless. Her mission had nearly ended the moment she saw him, but she'd been smart and lucky.

"Doron Var – awarded a Lordship of the Empire for defending the Bilbringi System shipyards from attacks by the Wen'xian terror group, preventing countless ships from falling into the hands of a group that threatened to exterminate dozens of worlds," she said, staring at the man who she had once known so well. She supposed that was a lot of people, these days. "The teacher of Jagged III in the ways of the Force... the man who would have trained Theron Fel when he reached true maturity in the Force. The man who, instead, trained the daughter of Grand Moff Thornish Gann."

"A traitor, just like her father," the man responded. He didn't move at all – no quivering with rage, no hate filled glare, and no glint of red in his eyes. He was calm, collected, and in complete control of himself. Serene, would be the word.

Ana sighed, the insult having no effect on her. Thornish may have been her father, and she was sad he was dead, but it was the truth. He had betrayed the people he had sworn to defend. "I am no traitor," she replied, however. "I am like you. A soldier who made their choice and, even after everything that's happened, doesn't regret it. Force knows we should though, right?"

Var laughed once. "I suppose we should," he muttered, glancing up at the ceiling.

"Me with... him. You with this new Emperor."

Var nodded. "Yep. That's about right. Despite what we've done, we both know we're on the right side," the older man agreed. "Like Master like student – fools the both of us."

"Too true," Ana said. "Perhaps that's why I learned so much from you so quickly." She sat down on the bed and ran a hand through her red hair.

"Your eyes are a different color," Var finally said after a short pause.

"Hm?" Ana asked, looking up from her deep thought. "Oh, yeah. Gene therapy injection. It was starting to wear off – I'm going to be back to normal soon, violet eyes and all."

"Even still, I'm surprised I didn't recognize you," Var supplied, growling at his own stupidity.

"You were preoccupied. Leon is very much like the Revan you never got the chance to train," she assuaged. "His visions. His fighting abilities. His raw power. They almost seem connected, don't they?"

Var cocked his head to the side at that. "What do you know?"

"That you don't? Much," Ana replied. She shrugged before twisting to lay down on the bed.

"Tell me," he growled.

"Hmm... No, no I don't think so," she said, smiling and raising her arm to cover her eyes.

"Tell me!" he snapped, his silver saber crashing against the plasma wall keeping his former student safe; his eyes glinted red. "Tell me or die!"

"I can tell you this much, Master," she began, never moving her robed arm from her face. "Leon Reht is speaking with Darth Revan. Your Emperor? He's chosen his successor."


	25. The Crew Anew

**AN: And we're entering the next section. To everyone who has read, reviewed, followed, or favorited this story I just want to say thank you. I've had a lot of fun so far. I hope you have too. Please, drop a review and tell me how you think I've been doing so far. Happy Valentines Day - coincidence, but I'll think you'll find our next setting… works with the holiday surprisingly well.**

Leon held his inactive saber before him, focusing intently on where the tip of his weapon would be if he pressed the button to activate it. The room around was empty black, matching the new robe-like jacket that he had chosen for the crew's continued field work. They were asymmetric, ending just below the knee at his left leg and at the ankle on his right. The left side was bolted into the jacket and attached to the belt that held the jacket tight at his hips. The jacket's torso remained open but, because of the belt, was tight enough that it remained taut with the help of a four-input snap buckle crossing over his gray shirt in an 'X.' The jacket's sleeves covered the bracers of cortosis built into the grip-gloves Leon wore, the clingy material covering only his palms. The shoulders of the jacket were a shinier, gray colored material a similar tone to his shirt. A blaster pistol was strapped onto Leon's hip.

When the lights in the room suddenly flashed on, blinding him for a moment, he ignited his lightsaber, turning to block the weapon he felt rushing towards him. He batted the blow aside and turned to kick at his attacker, sending it flying back, before responding to the chill running down his spine and turning to match blades with another enemy. As Leon's sight began to return, he landed a Force-infused palm to his attacker's – a red and black Zabrak man with a red doublesaber – to end the clash.

Then the first attacker was on him again, blue lightsaber slamming against Leon's black weapon with violent force. He stumbled backwards, raising his weapon in time to catch the next attack with his own weapon, twisting around the next attack to shove the bearded, tan robed jedi to the ground then rushing at the thin Sith boy who slashed upward with a backhand to defend against Leon's incoming blade.

Leon feinted, twisting his weapon around the Sith's red weapon, only to be stopped by another – the doublesaber Zabrak. Leon grunted in pain as he was kicked across the room by the younger Sith, a blue lightsaber rushing down at his head to be blocked. "Maybe this was a bad idea," Leon groaned to himself, rolling backwards and back onto his feet. He jumped backwards, dodging another swipe from the blue lightsaber and pulling out his blaster as he soared through the air, firing off four quick shots at each of his opponents. The bolts ricocheted off of each lightsaber, but that was when Leon growled to himself. "Where's number four?"

He suddenly screamed in pain, falling to his knees as a line of pain ran through his back. He froze as a pair of sabers, white and orange, surrounded his throat. "Dammit!" he growled to himself. He slammed his fist into the ground and shouted. "Just – _Kark!_ Training program off – mark as failure." The sabers separated from around his throat, fizzling out. Leon was just able to turn in time, anger flashing through his eyes, to see the holographic visage of Ana Gann disappear from around a training droid.

"Good thing you aren't one of those Nerf Herders who likes to train with the real thing," someone remarked from the hallway. Leon pushed himself to his feet and stumbled – the pain on his back flared up. It would pass, though. Var smirked from the doorway and pushed off of the wall. "Better, this time. You might have over done the programming on the Gann simulation, though. She isn't quite that good."

"What, no professional pride?" Leon shot, earning a dry laugh from his master. The Knight shrugged. "That's the point. She fought me like I was a child, and the Emperor did the same with her. If those are the kind of people I'll be fighting... Force above, Master, if I can't defeat her, what about when I inevitably meet a Jedi Master? Or Stauen? Sith power plays are... out of control."

"Yes. They are," Lord Var responded. He sighed and gestured for his apprentice to follow. Var turned and left the room, leaving his apprentice wondering what was going on for a moment before following. Var turned around random corners, leading his apprentice through the temple in a path that made the younger man start to wonder exactly where they were. Finally, however, the duo stopped. "Let's enter my office. Come on."

Leon frowned, but followed his master. "Master, what's this all about?" Leon asked as he knelt down near the desk, across from Var. He snarled as the pain in his back flared up again, though deadened from its earlier magnitude. The pain ran down his body, dully settling in the circular scar on his gut. Lightsaber wounds were hard to fix, as the flesh that needed to heal had been completely destroyed by the weapon. Bone, tissue, muscle, and skin had a rough go of it even with bacta and the Force knitting them back together.

"What all do you know about the assassination of Darth Revan?" the Gray Lord asked, tenting his hands in front of his face. "No... what rumors have you heard about the assassination?"

Leon scoffed. "Everything. I mean, they're crazy. The Emperor did it, uh, Midi-Chlorian suicide, Revan faked it, or – my personal and obviously insane favorite – that someone a long time from now in a galaxy far far away killed and cloned him. It's crazy fun, but in the end that's all it is – crazy."

"True," Var agreed, lowering his hands to the desk and fidgeting nervously. "Most of them are cooked up by _schutta_ a few Jawas short of a sandcrawler."

"I'm sensing a 'but,'" Leon remarked.

Var frowned and unclasped his hands, running them across the surface of his desk and back to open one of the drawers. "This was something that was delivered to me by one of Lord Revan's bodyguards. This Sith who delivered this to me died in action a few short days later; I remain unconvinced that those events are not connected." Var dropped the file on the table.

"Wow. Been a while since I've seen an honest to Force paper file," Leon said, crossing his arms and smirking at the manilla folder in front of him. He looked back up at his Master, who motioned for the young man to take it. Leon reached out to grab it. "I don't know what you're expecting me to – What is this, Master?"

The Knight was ashen faced as he stared at his master, awaiting an answer. Finally, the Gray Lord nodded at his vassal and began to speak, "You see the real reason now, don't you? Vallen and I sent you and your crew to defend the Empire and find the one weapon capable of easily ending the war. We were not lying about that. Sithspit, we didn't even _technically_ lie."

"No, you just omitted the biggest part of this," Leon growled, closing the folder and tossing it back onto the desk. He slammed his fist on top of it and shook his head. "Why wouldn't you tell me about this?"

"Most people even within our own power structure believe that the Sith hunt power like rabid dogs," Lord Var replied. "Be frank when I ask just how would you have responded if I'd told you that the Emperor had been killed by his apprentice? That Vallen and I were effectively about to ask you be a part of treason?"

Leon considered this for a moment, unblinkingly staring at his Master. Finally, he let his fist slip open and his palm rest on the table; Leon closed his eyes and sighed. "I would have accused you and your girlfriend -"

"My _what!?_ "

" – of wanting power for yourselves. Of lying, because of _course_ you were lying. This is insane!"

"But now that you've met the Emperor?" Var asked, still flustered from what his apprentice had said, his cheeks a deep red popping against the gray of his hair and robes.

Leon shook his head, giving in. "He's... Something felt off in my gut. You don't need the Force to sense he isn't the loyal kind of guy."

"No. He is not. Darth Nernyn spoke out often during the reformation of the Sith-Imperial government against letting the students of the Academy decide their own fates in the Force as well as against allowing defectors to do the same. He questioned Revan's every move, which – ironically – is why Revan kept him around. Revan wanted another viewpoint, someone to point out any fallacies or inconsistencies in his logic. As time went on, it sadly became obvious to Lord Revan that Nernyn was a failure in that regard. He did not learn, did not understand the nature of the war and of the Force."

"And?"

"He despised Revan, though not only for this. They had a history together that even Lord Revan did not wish to speak of, and he would constantly make light of his own interactions with Ana Gann – whom he _loved_. Whatever happened between them was more painful than even that. And Nernyn despised him even more for this... mystery," Var explained sadly. "Like the report says, he got one of Lord Revan's bodyguards – those he knew as apprentices – to plant explosives in the Emperor's flagship of the time, the _Satele_. Ana Gann, despite her attempts to kill the Emperor, was not the true murderer."

Leon was quiet. "People would think that your belief in this was only due to the shame you felt for training her. You don't want to be the one who killed the Emperor," he finally said.

Lord Var shrugged. "That would be nice," he admitted. "Though it doesn't change facts. Lord Revan was the most powerful Force wielder in the galaxy, capable of collapsing stars and bringing ships out of hyperspace. He powered the Foundry and defeated the Force ghost of his namesake in battle. No mere woman – even Ana – could have defeated him in a duel."

"I know," Leon admitted. "But I need to know something before I agree to be an actual traitor to the Empire -"

"Not the Empire. Just the Emperor."

"He _is_ the Empire."

"Even though he is guilty of treason?"

"Yes. That's how the courts would see it. So I just want to know one – no, two things. When do you take over and what's the plan afterward?"

"As soon as we have the Foundry we'll launch our coup, just as quietly as Nernyn launched his own," Var explained, not particularly proudly. "Many Admirals and Generals in the military already believe that the current Emperor is nothing but a brute compared to his predecessor, and would gladly help get rid of him if it came down to it. Then the war with the Triumvirate will be easily won."

"But what's the plan after that?"

"We install the Successor that Revan chose," Var said quietly, folding his hands. He glanced up at Leon, waiting for a response, waiting for the young man to comment on the power he would come into.

"Well, I guess if the Revan chose this person I'd be glad to put them on the throne," the Knight finally responded.

Lord Var hid his surprise. Leon didn't know what Revan had chosen him for? He almost told the young man then and there, but stopped before even opening his mouth. If Revan's spirit had not explicitly told Leon about this, then there must be a reason. He, perhaps, was not ready? "This man is the only choice, really," Var said. He frowned. "Unfortunately, the Emperor is keeping an intense eye on you right now. Your capture of Ana and your success with the Corellian cloning lab have drawn his attention and his desire. He has yet to relinquish control over your direction, so you cannot aid us right now. Instead, you and your crew are to report to the newly upgraded _Crimson Eagle_ where your next assignment should be present."

"Upgraded?"

"Yes, there's a special generator on the ship. First of its kind," the Councilman said as he stood up and approached the door. "I'm not clear on the _how_ , but it releases a kind of energy capable of drawing ships out of hyperdrive. So it can't be used _in_ hyperdrive."

"We'd have to know where someone's coming from," Leon frowned. "Hm... well, maybe if we need to catch someone before they escape a sector. Shut off their hyperdrive so the _Eagle_ can catch up... okay, thanks I guess."

"It was a gift from the Emperor. Be wary of it," Lord Var warned. "But do not try to alter it – he would likely know."

Leon nodded and stood up, following his Master to the door. As he opened it and started to step through, he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. "I would not recommend going to see her."

Leon glanced over his shoulder at his master, then walked out of the room without saying a word.

SWSWSWSWSW

"I wasn't expecting another visitor so soon," Ana said, crossing her arms and smirking at the doorway as it opened. She's been expecting Leon to come around sooner, but it didn't matter.

"Well, my master said that speaking with you would be a bad idea," the visitor said. Ana's smirk disappeared as the Knight walked into the room and crossed her arms.

"Marien," Ana said cordially.

"Hmph. Not who you expected, then?" the Chiss asked, walking forward slowly, letting the door hiss and slam shut behind her. She shook her head at the prisoner. "Don't fool yourself: Leon isn't going to come and see you."

"You don't sound too happy about that," Ana said, leaning off of her bed and glaring at the Chiss with crossed arms of her own. "Why? Why would you want him to talk to me?"

"Yeah. I hate you. You killed – sorry, _tried_ to kill my best friend," Mari growled.

Ana's eyebrows shot up. "You know?"

"I'd always thought it was weird that someone he'd beaten in battle every time before had suddenly been able to beat him," Marien responded patronizingly. "But I guess only the weak and desperate would try to defeat someone so far past them."

"Ha. Much like our battle," the Jedi retorted dryly, drawing an ireful growl from the Chiss. "Though I have to admit, I didn't expect such a move from Leon. I should have, though. Revan would do the same – he _did_ , in fact."

"So he reminds you of Revan, then?" Mari asked.

"He does for you, hm?" Ana noted. Marien nodded in reply. "Well, yes. He does. But back to the question at hand – why would you want Leon Reht to speak with me?"

"Because you knew Revan. And you saved Leon – so don't give me that _stang_ about just trying to assassinate the Emperor. You had better opportunities than when you did it, and you aren't the kind to get cold feet," Marien snapped. "You jumped in at the point you did because of Leon. Why?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ana growled, turning around coldly and laying down on the bed, facing the wall of dull plasma.

"Don't lie to me," the Sith threatened, approaching the cage and slamming her robotic arm into the wall. Ana smirked, knowing that the hiss that floated to her ears was the noise of her arm melting against the plasma. However, she quickly gasped as she was pulled backwards to the ground by her foot. She looked down, surprised, and stared. "Cortosis weave arm. Catching you gave us all rewards." The arm was indeed hissing against the wall; the black robe was singed and burned away by the plasma cube though the charcoal colored prosthetic remained completely unharmed.

"Something is in him," Ana finally supplied, angrily kicking the hand from her ankle. The hiss stopped as Mari pulled her arm from the plasma wall. "The very first thing you asked him was whether or not he was related to Theron Fel. Leon reminds me of him as well, though not just physically. The Force swirls around him. I found myself... bent to his will, almost subconsciously. He's a leader with a destiny, though what that destiny could be... It was instinct to protect him, just as it was instinct to know that the Emperor was going to attack Leon."

"You're lying."

"I'm withholding the _complete_ truth. Nothing I've said is false," the Jedi responded innocently. She shrugged and pushed herself up to her feet. "Beware, Chiss. People like Leon have a way of threatening to destroy who we are. You'll find yourself at crossroads to decisions that could destroy what you've become and what you want to become. He will remake you. And you won't think 'What do I think is right?' No. You'll begin to wonder to yourself, 'What would _he_ do?' Depending on what you do, you may change to emulate him, what you love and what you hate, or you could conversely become that which your master trained you to be."

"Darth Traya," Marien muttered guiltily.

"Another ancient name with terrible secrets," Ana noted, face stony. She nodded and sighed. "Your master was inspired by me, wasn't she?"

"She mentioned you by name," Marien admitted. "She respects you."

"Yes. Kaireinia, she... My father knew her a long time ago. Kaireinia Horn – the Triumvirate didn't even know she was alive until I told them," Ana explained, falling to the bed once again. "They were shocked the former Grandmaster's missing sister had Fallen, especially since it had always been thought that Sylven was the one who walked closer to the Dark Side, even by their parents."

"Wow. Way to play favorites," Mari grunted. Never thought that I'd think I was better off never knowing my parents, and then the Horn family comes along."

"It happens in families like that," Ana explained. She frowned as her eyes glazed over with memories. "Expectation is everything." She looked up suddenly. "I'm a little tied up in here, at the moment, so you'll have to convince him to come and see me."

"Hey, I still don't like it," Marien growled. "But yeah. Thanks."

SWSWSWSWSW

"We're beginning our approach to Zeltros," Cade said over the comms of the ship, his voice staticky over the system. "Get ready for scoping out the security until the target gets on planet. And a week of just enjoying the pleasure resorts. I came here once with Deliah – what a month!"

The comms shut off. Leon shook his head and groaned. Zeltros was fun and all – the native Zeltrons' empathic abilities propagated the hedonism across the entire planet – but Leon itched for more. It felt wrong that he should be enjoying the planet known for its... 'festivities' rather than finding the next map to the Foundry. But... orders were orders. He'd have to deal with capturing the Triumvirate admiral on Zeltros before he could get to what he really wanted to do.

"I bet you're excited," Deranis said from the other end of the cargo hold as Leon finished sliding on his left glove. Leon glanced around the lockers at the half-Echani. He was wearing new armor, thought it was the same snowy white. Blood red designs swirled around the armor and a black, non-Echani mark adorned either pauldron. There was an Echani Firebrand on his left hip – something he said he'd been practicing with since meeting the Knight – and his huge blaster strapped across his shoulders.

"Why?" Leon asked, sliding his right glove on.

"Oh, don't give me that!" Deranis pushed, walking up to Leon and shoving his shoulder. "You and the Chiss keep giving each other the _eyes_."

"Don't worry, we can contain ourselves," Leon muttered dryly, pulling his lightsaber out and clipping it to his belt. Zeltros had virtually no weapons laws for tourists; the empath field around the planet tended to kill any ideas of violence before they started. Unless you had one of the black-market, custom Force masks – named for their ability to aid one in resisting Force mind tricks. These custom ones helped to block the intense field around the planet by stimulating pain receptors at certain intervals to keep one's mind focused. The custom upgrade was incredibly expensive, and incredibly precarious. The Zeltros worldwide empath network was intense, billions of minds focused on hedonism was hard to resist, and the amount of electricity required to do so was incredibly high; the difference between a deadly mask and a successful build was so minimal it almost came down just to luck. Few and far between were those who could resist from force of will alone, so Leon was grateful when Revan had taught him a way to resist.

"Ha! Are you sure you both can? I have to admit, we just entered atmosphere and _I'm_ feeling like partying," the normally stoic Echani admitted. "I can't even imagine what a Sith must be feeling like."

Leon palled as an image of the leather clad Sith, completely free from inhibition, flashed through his mind. "Um... huh. Uh oh." He picked up his blaster and turned it to stun. Deranis laughed. "It's... just in case."


	26. Pleasure Planet

**AN: Hey everyone, sorry it's been so long. It's been a crazy week or so, with tests, projects, and family visiting. I hope everyone's been well since last time.**

 **Sorry this chapter is so much shorter, but it's mostly set-up for the next sequence of events to play out, getting the Eagle's crew into place, etc. We'll be finding more out about the rest of the crew's backgrounds in the next few chapters, including what happened with Cade and Deliah for him to be alone on Kashyyyk.**

 **A quick shout out to everyone who's reviewed so far – Prince Sheogorath, HK Target Shooter, Hankinus, and Crushing Darkness – as well as all those who follow and/or favorite. Thanks.**

If it was possible for an entire planet to be one big party, then Zeltros was that planet. That's just what happens when every species from human to Hutt considers yours to be the most attractive species in the known galaxy. That said, Leon had not really been prepared for what was going on. The spaceport itself was not the same annoyed or even downtrodden area it was on any other planet. It seemed like, from the moment one's ship set down, they were in a better mood. Except Leon, of course; Revan's training was working. In the short run, that wasn't exactly a benefit. Whereas the constant party going on around him no doubt would be entertaining if he would let himself fall into it, it was just an annoying obstacle when sober.

"Okay, excuse me. Hey, move. Sithspit, get the _kriff_ out of my way!" he growled and shouted, annoyedly shoving party goers out of his path. He stopped when he realized he was drawing a... frightening amount of attention compared to the people having sex, right there on the floor.

"I... think I despise this place," Leon mumbled to himself, holding in his desire to Force blast everyone out of his way. They weren't supposed to draw attention, but he couldn't let them get sidetracked in this wild place. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure the rest of the crew was following. "Hey! Cade!? No, stop that!" He grabbed the disrobing man by the shoulder and dragged him along, grateful that Deranis and Mari had at least – "Oh, come on, you too?" he asked the Echani who had begun to dance in perfect sync with a group of Zeltros women. He caught the man by his neck with the crook of his arm and pulled him along too. Leon glanced over his shoulder to see that Mari was, for the moment at least, containing herself. "At least I can count on one of you."

Artoo whistled angrily next to him. "Hey, you were a given," Leon assured the droid, who whistled as if this were obvious. "You're not wandering off every five minutes after a- Cade! No!"

Artoo _whoo_ d in annoyance with his master and shot a bolt of electricity from his tools, driving the war hero painfully away from a gaggle of Zeltron women with electric blue hair. "Ow, I – what? Oh, geez, I thought my time with Blue would have helped with this," he grumbled to himself, slapping his forehead a few times to clear the pheremones. He stumbled after Leon. "Don't be afraid to shock me again, Artoo. Ow! When I wander off, not – OW! ARTOO!" The Zeltrons he left behind laughed at the scene as the group left, Artoo continually delivering electric jabs to the legs of the Skywalker.

"Artoo, you and Mari are in charge. Don't let Deranis do anything stupid or Cade do anything... Cade," Leon muttered. Artoo whistled enthusiastically, a plasma torch shooting from his chassis. "Okay, maybe a little... less." The Droid grumbled in annoyance and shot a burst of electricity at the Knight, who took it with a quiet yelp.

"Ungrateful droid," he grumbled to himself as he approached the speeder rental kiosk.

"Greetings, I am C-12. How can I assist you today?" the droid manning the shop asked, his thin arms motoring up to the counter and clacking against the plasteel.

"Transport to the Silver Sunset Resort," Leon said, pulling out a credit chit. He glanced over his shoulder to see electricity flying from Artoo at Deranis and Cade while Mari glanced at Leon out of the corner of her eye. He turned back to the droid and pulled out another chit. "And we'll take your fastest one."

SWSWSWSWSW

"Okay. Deranis, Cade, you two are going to stay in this room until the Force Masks get here," he said while picking up his and Mari's bags. "Let's get to our rooms so we can get some rest. I have a feeling dealing with these two on Zeltros is going to be exhausting."

"No deal, I've got somewhere to be," Cade said, standing up. The empath field was weaker when one wasn't in the presence of any Zeltrons, so Cade was acting closer to normal – well, his normal at least. He unclipped his saber from his hip and tossed it onto one of the two beds. "I'll be back soon, don't wait up."

"Cade, no. Just wait here until the Force Masks make it here. It'll be a day, at most," the Knight commanded. Cade just glared at him angrily. "Cade, please. Whatever you need to do, doing it with a clear head would be better."

The old Jedi frowned at Leon before nodding in acquiescence. "Okay. But if they get here even a second early, I'll be gone for a few hours," Cade grunted and letting himself fall into a nearby chair. He picked up a datapad and began to flip through sites disinterestedly. "I... I get it. Just don't be surprised if I'm not here when you get back."

"That's fine. Just leave a note," Leon agreed with a shrug. He walked over to the door with Marien and nodded. "I'll come back with food later, guys."

"Fine. Bring something useful," Deranis growled, rubbing his bloodshot eyes. "Anything I can use to get rid of this stupid buzzing running behind my eyes."

"Will do," Leon said. "A thousand liters of Caf it is." Leon grinned as Deranis grumbled at that; the half-Echani believed warriors didn't need something like Caf to wake them up. To do otherwise would be to invite weakness. Leon laughed at his ally's growl of annoyance and walked out of the room, followed closely by Mari.

Leon walked across the hall and down to the room where Mari would be staying. "I'm staying across the hall, next door to Deranis and Cade's room," he explained as he passed the room's passcard over its scanner. "Not fair that they didn't give Deranis and Cade their own rooms, but... they don't seem to care."

Leon entered the room and tossed Mari's bag onto her bed. "Hey, you okay? You've been quiet since we got here," he said as the door hissed shut behind them. He walked over to the wall and flipped on a light without turning to face her. "Mari? What –" Leon froze when he turned to see Mari half-stripped of her clothes and walking towards him.

"Duuuuh... Uh... Um..." he groaned as she got closer and closer. She smiled alluringly and he felt his brain shut off – funny, seeing as he thought his brain couldn't have shut off any more than it had already. Her hands moved up to rest beside his head and Leon chuckled dumbly.

 _Think about this, Leon_ , Revan's voice snapped from within his head, trying to summon him back to reality. He tried to shake it out of his head, a big fan of what was going on so far. Why would he try and stop it? _Leon!_

Revan's voice itched in the furthest, cloudiest reaches of Leon's mind, a minor annoyance in the face of what was about to happen. Now, he may not have been under the influence of the Zeltros Empath field, but – "Oh, Force _kriffing_ mother _karking... Stang!_ " he snapped to himself, shoving the incredibly attractive and intriguing Chiss Sith to arms length. "Oh... Force, if I don't get a chance at this again I'll kill past me. Painfully."

"What's wrong?" Mari asked, sense returning – a little at least – to her eyes.

"Look, I'm not... comfortable doing this," Leon muttered, running his hands from her shoulders to the sides of her arms. "I..." He groaned and moved her to the side, walking past her and grabbing her outfit from the floor, tossing it to her. "We're on a planet with an empathic field that could get a Jedi Master to want sex. You're a Sith, so let's be honest here... You're good at hiding it usually, but this place – Mari, you're not in control."

The Chiss stared at him, holding her clothes to her chest. "Say something," Leon pleaded.

"What if this is what I actually want?" she asked finally.

"Can we be sure right now? No, and I don't want any doubt with this. I'm sure you and I – we can wait for the Force Masks to get here and clear your head so you can make a decision. Barring that, we'll be off planet at the end of the week," the Knight said as he walked to the door. He turned back to her and shrugged. "Wait at least one day, then we'll _know_ what you want." Then he turned around and left the room, his own bag flung over his shoulder.

"That must have been difficult," Revan said from beside Leon as the Knight entered his own room, quickly tossing the bag in before exiting and walking down to order room service. "I approve, of course. Attachments and trust only weaken."

"That's... not why I made the decision," Leon responded, voice low. He didn't want to appear insane as talking to an invisible Force Ghost tended to draw looks. "I care about her. I don't want it to be something we'd regret."

"Ugh. Spare me the touchy-feely nonsense," Revan groaned in annoyance. Leon didn't look over as he entered the front of the resort again, again having to walk through throngs of people who could barely contain themselves. Thankfully, the entire staff was droids and, thus, immune to the Zeltros field. "Ooh! Get local cuisine. All of the Zeltrons I've met have loved good fun – except _that_ one – and were great cooks... except _that_ one."

"Four bowls of Zeltronian... Love Noodles, really?"

The droid sighed in agreement, his two fingered hands clacking against the countertop. The lights of its eyes flickered in a way that Leon could only describe as an eye roll. "Exasperated Statement: Believe me, _I know_ ," the droid grumbled.

"Yeah... it's bad. Well, four of those and ten cups of Caf."

"Statement: That won't clear anyone's head," the droid said, pushing its grey, skeletal body up to look Leon in the eye. "Explanation: Everyone tries it, but the Caf jolt just makes you organics more open to everything. Suggestion: Water – just water. That will help."

"Thanks. Um..."

"Depressed Resignation: I don't have a designation," the droid explained, its head falling to its chest.

Revan laughed. "HK, pick HK!" he practically screamed in excitement.

Leon held in his sigh. He didn't know why, but he _had_ been planning to offer the droid his own designation, though why the dead Sith wanted HK was beyond him. Still, he didn't have anything better planned. "How about an HK designation? I've always liked those."

"Boisterous Agreement: Perfect! HK-n," the droid sighed. "Disappointed Note: I suppose that the n should stand for null, since I am not truly an HK unit..."

"I won't tell anyone that if you don't," Leon suggested with a grin. "Hey, is there any way I could get you to tell me when one of my partners leaves? He came in with me."

"Statement: Of course, though I believe that is him right now," HK-i said, gesturing across the counter.

Leon turned to see not Cade, but Deranis trying to slip out of the front. "I... Thanks," Leon said, turning quickly back to the droid. "Send the food up to my room and my crewmates'. Put it on our tab, okay HK?"

"Agreeable Exclamation: Of course, Master Leon!" he said. Leon thought he heard the droid continue as he rushed after Deranis. "Stunned Statement: I 'm excited to help an organic. What am I becoming?"

SWSWSWSWSW

" _Al'verde_ , the _ge'sotal_ is indeed here," the warrior said from far above, his binoculars trained on the two so-called 'mercenaries' walking through the Zeltros crowds. The Force Mask on his face buzzed lightly, cycling again to keep his mind free from the Zeltronian suggestion. "He is being followed by a _arujetii_."

"Hmph. From the Imperial Camp or the Triumvirate's?" the voice on the other end of the channel asked, crackling with the static over the line.

"I am not sure, _Al'verde,_ " the scout replied, letting his binoculars fall to his side before placing them on the roof beside him.

"Then assume the worst case scenario; treat it like a _darjetti_. Mandalore doesn't want _any_ mistakes," the Mandalorian commander growled from the other end of the line, his voice an annoyed growl. A deserter Jedi had not been planned for; Deranis rarely aided groups so small as it did not give him the camouflage from his hunters that mercenary cartels did. "Take the _arujetti_ out before we make our move. Quietly, if you can. If you can't kill it, injure it. If you can't injure it – don't come back."

" _Jatne Vod!_ " the Mandalorian scout shouted with a salute before signing off. "Now, little _arujetti_ , let's see how you fare with a blaster bolt through the skull..."


	27. Alor'ad

Leon weaved through the crowd, always staying just close enough to Deranis to keep him in his sights, but just far enough away that Leon was sure Deranis wouldn't catch him following. Knight's training had been both broad and deep, teaching him skills ranging from advanced battle, tactics, and Force abilities that were the norm for Councilors students all the way to infiltration, interrogation, and politics that Lord Var had decided to teach. For not the first time, Leon was glad his master had made the decision to teach him so much in the small span of time they'd been on Ruusan. The training had been... brutal, at times, but rewarding. The scar on his gut from where Ana had stabbed him burned. Not rewarding enough, though. To be fair, Ana _had_ honed her skills alongside and against the likes of Revan, but Leon's pride still burned.

He still felt like a spy following Deranis, though, and began humming the theme song to an old holo as he followed the Echani. For once, he wasn't drawing any attention to himself on the streets of Zeltros. He was enjoying himself, despite what was happening, and the Zeltrons around him weren't tossing him the angry, distrusting looks he had become accustomed to receiving as the killjoy of the group. Zeltronian culture on the home planet was of the custom "If you aren't having fun, we'll make you." Leon thought it was a little odd for the species known for being completely carefree were at the same time so very tyrannical when it came to "fun."

Leon paused when Deranis glanced uncomfortably over his shoulder and abruptly turned down a side ally. Leon grit his teeth and growled at himself. Did he let Deranis see him? He thought he'd been so careful. He shook his head – he couldn't deal with this worry when he had to find out just what the Echani was up to. Leon walked down the alley himself, hoping he'd be able to hide from Deranis even in the emptiness of the alleyway. Leon pulled his collar up further to cover his facial features and began to stalk his friend once again.

"He aims to betray you," Revan said from beside the Knight, walking in tandem down the alley. His form passed through the garbage and obstructions present in the alley like a – well, like a ghost.

"Is that the only thing you know how to say?" Leon asked with a roll of his eyes, stuffing his hands into his pockets and looking down slightly to further hide his face. "I swear it's been more than half your advice since you've shown up."

"If you take only one thing from our time together, Apprentice, let it be that, then," Revan muttered disapprovingly. "Rather than ignoring it, embrace it. You have been betrayed once, and as I said it will be three times."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. 'Friend, Lover, Self.' I know," Leon sighed, waving his hand dismissively. "Even if that were true, we've already got the 'friend' part of that out of the way, so Deranis is clean. Don't worry your little, incorporeal head about it."

Revan did not respond, instead simmering angrily as they continued to walk down the alley after the white haired Echani. Deranis turned around a corner and Leon followed. "Nothing to say to that?"

"I _predicted_ three betrayals. Others may yet exist in your future," Revan snarled, clasping his hands behind him. "The only way to prevent those is to kill those who could betray you before they do. I'd say the Chiss first, but she's not here right now. The Echani will have to do, I suppose."

"I'm. Not. Killing. My. Friends!" Leon snapped as quietly as he could at the dead Sith. He sighed and shook his head. "You really need to stop with -"

"Shut up," Revan interjected angrily, looking around. "Lightsaber out, now."

Leon scoffed, but immediately turned, igniting his saber to bat away the incoming sniper bolt as soon as the hair on the back of his neck began to prickle. "Force, that was close," he muttered as soon as the bolt _prang!_ ed away from him. Louder: "Yeah, that's not going to work!"

There was the clatter of feet. "Leon, what the _kark_ are you doing here!?" Deranis shouted, nearing the Knight with heavy blaster drawn. There was the noise of another blaster bolt screaming through the air. Leon instinctively jumped into its path, blocking the stun bolt that had been headed for Deranis.

"Trying to find out what the _kark_ **you** are doing here!" Leon shouted back at his crew mate. "I'm not in the mood to chase my friends across Zeltros of all places! And getting shot at by Force knows what in an alley is not my idea of a good time on the pleasure planet." Leon deflected another bolt, this one a kill shot. "I'm guessing they're friends of yours, more or less."

"Less," the Echani responded, aiming down the sights of his gun and firing off a bolt towards where the enemy fire originated. He fired off a series of bolts, the blue energy flashing down the darkness of the alley and illuminating the dank area. "And now that you've screwed up their trap for me, they'll all be on their way to us as a whole. We need to get to an open area, you're at a disadvantage in a cramped alley like this."

"I know. We can make our way to the rooftops if we head through the buildings," Leon said, holding his blade up. "Cover me." He turned and stabbed through the wall, dragging his blade around in a circle. The noxious smell of metal melting under his blade's push wafted through the air as he cut their way in. No sniper fire came as he did.

"The scout's preparing our next battleground," the Echani said as Leon finished cutting the circle from the building. The Knight raised one hand and pushed with the Force, opening their way in. "You should expect heavy resistance from them."

"And just who are 'them?'" Leon asked, stepping through the uneven hole. He shrugged as he looked at the edges; at least he'd been able to trace a single, connected path this time even if it wasn't a perfect circle. "Does Jool's power stretch this far?"

"Not when she was alive, no," the Echani muttered as he slung his blaster over his shoulder and pulled his cortosis-weave staff from his hip.

"She's dead?" Leon asked, surprised. He turned back to the Echani. "I'm... sorry?"

"Why?" the Echani asked, genuinely confused.

"Um... never mind. So if it's not your former employer, just who _is_ chasing us down?" the Knight asked, holding his saber up in front of him and ready to fight whatever may come. "I think we deserved to know someone was after you a while ago."

"Probably. I didn't think they still were until we landed on Zeltros and I saw a group of them arriving at the spaceport as we left. _Xai'chath,_ I haven't seen heads or blasters of them since I got to Coruscant," Deranis explained, following his commander to the turbolift. "I thought I was free from them."

"Again... 'Them?'" Leon asked, slamming the button to reach the roof. "Who are these enemies?"

"Hrmph. Enemy isn't the right word," Deranis growled as the turbolift shot up at stomach turning speeds.

"Then what is?" Leon asked, extinguishing his saber and checking its power cell. It was full – the saber was still virtually brand new, after all. "Just who would be trying to shoot you except an enemy?"

"Family," the Echani growled in response, pulling his blaster rifle back over his shoulder.

"Echani are weirder than I thought," Leon murmured.

"Not Echani," Deranis growled as the lift slowed. The doors flew open. Deranis stepped out first, carefully aiming around the roof of the building, the red light of a sunset bathing his white armor in a bloody scarlet. The sound of rockets soon erupted above.

"Heh. Should have known any _arujetti_ who could get your respect wouldn't go down easy," a voice said from above. Leon scowled as the noise of the rockets dissipated, replaced by the noise of a group of heavy boots thudding against metal. "He must be a pretty strong fighter to secure the loyalty of Mandalore's son, after all."

Leon turned, surprised, to Deranis, who stared at the leader of the warriors. "A Mandalorian strike team is after you? Well, I guess this makes more since with the shooting at us..." Leon asked, stunned as he stared at the half-Echani. Of all the secrets that Deranis could have been hiding, Leon wouldn't have guessed that this was it. "Wait, you're... Deranis Ordo of Mandalore's Clan?"

"I prefer Deranis Kae," the Echani growled without turning from the Mandalorians. "It was the name of Father."

"Was?"

"Oh, he hasn't told you his story yet, eh?" the Mandalorian commander asked. Leon turned to the strike team; the Captain was clad in yellow Mandalorian armor, there were a few in red and blue, but most were green or grey. "Oh, it's great. You want to tell it, or should I, eh Ordo?"

"This isn't the time or place for games, Skirata. I assume my mother wants you to bring me back home? Or are you here for a power play? It's been too long since someone's tried a coup against a Mandalore," Deranis grunted, aiming his blaster square at Captain Skirata's chest.

"I remain loyal, unlike you," the Mandalorian responded, audibly smiling behind his helmet. "Though, I suppose that's the Echani blood in you. Small and disloyal."

"Hey!" Leon snapped, igniting his saber and leveling it at the Mandalorian leader. "Watch your tongue when you're talking to us, _shabuir_."

"I could say the same," Skirata retorted as he heard Leon's Mando'a insult. He shot upward and aimed a pair of blasters at the Knight, then laughed to himself and holstered them. "Hmph, I like this one. He's got _beskar_ down there to say that to the faces of a dozen Mandalorian elite soldiers, even if he is an _arujetti_."

"Well, you can tell Failyn that I'm not coming back," Deranis said. He lowered his blaster. "So leave, I don't want to deal with this."

"Well, that's not an option, Ordo – sorry, _Kae_. Mandalore ordered us to bring you back, so come easily or come with a fight," Skirata said, pulling a cylinder from his hip. He thumbed the activator and the green blade of a dead Jedi ignited. "I've been itching for a fight, in case you're still deciding."

Leon looked over at Deranis, then back up at the Mandalorian and his thinly veiled threat. "Then we're happy to oblige," the Knight snapped, twirling as he stepped towards the Mandalorians, a wall of energy erupting from his outstretched hand as he stopped, saber parallel to the ground above his head. The massive Force push collided with the entire squad of Mandalorians, sending them flying away.

"What was that for!?" Deranis growled at Leon.

"You don't want to go, do you?" Leon asked. Deranis shook his head. "Then I'm not letting you face all of these _schutta_ by yourself, Deranis."

"I can't ask that of you," Deranis said.

"I think I've already embroiled myself in this a little too much, D," Leon said, placing his hand on his friend's shoulder. The noise of rockets finally reached the duo's ears; most of the Mandalorians had survived... save the slow or stupid ones. "'Sides, what else are friends for?"

Deranis scoffed. "Well, it's their funeral," he said with a shrug, shouldering his rifle again. "After you, Leon."

Leon grinned, and turned as quickly as possible, already instinctively batting the blaster bolts flying towards him and Deranis back at the Mandalorians firing them. They were all stun bolts, seeing as Mandalore wanted her son back, so the Mandalorians who were too slow to dodge found themselves flying off to crash in random places. "We have to be attracting an obscene amount of attention!" Leon laughed, leaping into the air and shooting a bolt of lightning at a Mandalorian as he passed, causing the man to scream in pain; his jetpack malfunctioned from the surge of energy and he plummeted down the side of the building, unceremoniously ending his life.

Leon immediately jumped backwards as soon as his feet hit the ground again, narrowly avoiding being crushed by the heavy, _beskar_ boots of Captain Skirata. "You know, you're lightsaber is much more _Mando'a_ than a Jedi's," the Mandalorian remarked, twirling the green blade at his side and bringing it up to a ready stance. "Black blade – it'll be the second one the Mandalorians have owned. Maybe I'll even use it when I'm Mandalore."

"Wow, you're already planning your victory tour?" Leon asked, tossing his saber up and catching it backhand. "I knew Mandalorians were cocky, but you push it to a whole new level, _Stoopa_." The Knight jumped forward before the Mandalorian could react, bringing the lightsaber around to collide with the Mandalorian's arm. The saber hissed against the metal but, to Leon's surprise, bounced clean off. He ducked beneath the green blade that rushed at him and spun to a further distance. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Deranis shooting down the rest of the strike team.

"Who is the _Stoopa_ now, eh?" the Mandalorian Captain asked, advancing slowly on Leon.

"Mandalorian Iron. Damn, that'll be a _schutta_ to punch through," the Knight murmured to himself. He dropped his saber and grabbed it out of the air in a forehand grip for defense. He sidestepped the first incoming attack, nudging it away just slightly as he did. It still came closer than he'd expected, nearly nicking the tail of his jacket. "You're faster than I thought you'd be, especially in that armor of yours."

"Slow against a Jedi means death," Skirata replied darkly, bringing the saber up again to be deflected by Leon's. "Slow against a Sith means worse. But even I'm intrigued by you; you're quicker and luckier than most Jedi or Sith I've met."

"Oh, pshaw," Leon said dryly, whipping around to hit the Mandalorian with a quick, Force enhanced jab. The warrior stumbled a step, but used the momentum to spin and deliver his own punch, aimed just perfectly. Even with his unique brand of fighting, Leon still took a glancing hit to his side. He held in a groan, instead letting out only a pained hiss, bending at the hip and clutching his side. "Maybe I'm not that lucky."

Leon's eyes widened as the hair on his neck stood up again, and he rolled forward, ignoring his fresh bruise and the pain that came with it. "You know, it's almost a shame to kill one as skilled as you," the Mandalorian said, blocking an incoming blow angled at his neck with his saber. "How would you like to join the Clans?"

"Offering me a job? No thanks, I like who I work for," Leon quickly responded, slashing at the Mandalorian's arm again. He growled to himself; this was getting him nowhere.

"And who do you work for?" the Mandalorian asked, letting the lightsaber glance uselessly off of his _beskar_ bracer.

Leon chided himself. He'd spoken a little too openly – officially, he was a traitor, after all. "The best boss in the world, Mandy," Leon replied, grinning mockingly. He jumped backwards and jabbed his thumb at his chest. "Who else?"

The Mandalorian scoffed. "A self serving fool? Deranis would never stand shoulder to shoulder with someone like that," Skirata laughed, lowering his lightsaber to his side for a moment. "For all the grief I give him, he's definitely his mother's son – stubborn to a fault when it comes to honor. He only worked for Jool because she was the most... stabilizing element on Coruscant that we wouldn't be able to easily slaughter; avoiding all out war on Coruscant when we're aligned with the Empire is a given."

"So why not continue with that cease fire?" Leon asked, dashing forward and initiating a saber lock with the Mandalorian. The two men began pushing at each other with as much strength as they could muster. "He doesn't want to go with you, and you've already lost more men than _I'd_ be willing to sacrifice. Just tell Mandalore he isn't interested and leave it at that."

"And you really think she'd agree to that?" the Mandalorian asked, locked in place. He twitched and his rocket pack ignited, barreling over the Knight and causing the Mandalorian to fly away. Leon rolled to his feet and raised a hand, deflecting the flames that rushed towards him. "Honor demands the son of Mandalore serve on the front lines."

"Well, what if he _is?_ " Leon asked, lowering his lightsaber. The Mandalorian froze, interested.

"Everyone, leave," the Mandalorian said into his comm. There were grunts in _Mando'ade_ mostly meaning 'Yessir' as the Mandalorians collected their wounded and dead before flying off. "What do you mean?"

Deranis ran up to Leon's side. "Why are they all leaving?" the Echani asked gruffly.

"You stop chasing Deranis, and we tell you the truth," Leon said, brushing off his crew mate's inquiry.

The Mandalorian considered this. "No promises, but if what you tell me is good enough I'm sure that Mandalore will agree," he said, deactivating his lightsaber and jet pack. Skirata plummeted to the rooftop with a loud thud. Leon finally noticed the sound of sirens in the distance as the noise pollution disappeared; they'd attracted too much attention with their fight. "If not, I can just kill you and take Ordo here back home."

"I doubt you'd be able to stand against Leon if he wasn't going easy on you," Deranis grunted, drawing a surprised look from the Knight. "He fought Ana Gann to a standstill."

Leon tried to look like that was true. To be fair, he _had_ fought her to a standstill... when she'd been toying with him. Still, better to not betray weakness in front of the _karking_ Mandalorian Captain. "Um... Deranis," Leon said, turning to his crewmate. "Explain to our friend here what's going on."

"Why me?" the Echani asked.

"... that's an order..."

Deranis took a deep, uneven breath. He looked like he was about to try and slam his fist through Leon's chest, taking the heart out in his fingers. Finally, he instead turned to Skirata to explain, "He is not a traitor to the Empire," the warrior muttered.

"Well, I guessed that much," the Mandalorian said, tossing his lightsaber up and down. He stopped suddenly and held it up, thumb on the activator. "So... is that it, Kae?"

"We're spec ops for the Council and the Emperor. Top secret stuff," Leon stated. "And you being here is endangering our mission."

Skirata was silent for a while, glancing between the Echani and Knight before him. Finally, he shrugged and clipped the saber to his belt. "Obviously Mandalore will have to check this out for herself," he began, sighing, "but if you're telling the truth it should be good enough. We'll be in touch with the Council – Var, I'm guessing."

"How'd you know?" Leon asked.

"Only person who could train someone like you is Var," the Mandalorian said. Leon wasn't sure if it was a compliment or an insult, but decided to take it as the former regardless. Skirata turned back to Deranis. "You'll have to come home to your Clan eventually."

Deranis glanced over at Leon, then back at Skirata. "It would seem I am with my Clan already."


	28. Women Beside the Heroes

"So what are we going to do next?" Deranis asked, arms crossed over his chest. He was wearing the same Force Mask as the rest of the group, obscuring his face from the others. Leon wasn't wearing one, however, seeing as he didn't need it, a fact that made everyone else in the group more than a little jealous. Mari hadn't even spoken to him since... the incident.

"What do you think we should do, Mandalore Junior?" Leon asked with a mocking grin.

"I've asked you not to do that," the Echani growled. "Maybe a thousand times."

"If you wanted the mocking out of the way, you should have told us sooner," Cade explained. Leon could practically hear the smug smile on Cade's face. "Prince Bucket-Head."

"And this is why I don't tell people," Deranis groaned. He let his head hit the wall and he sighed.

"Honestly though. You should have told us," Leon said. He walked over to his friend and placed a hand on the Echani's shoulder. "I get not telling us up front but... I think we earned your trust."

"So did Erea," the Echani replied. He sighed apologetically upon seeing Leon's scowl. "I just meant... I _was_ planning on telling you, before we found out about Erea being Ana. Then things just got crazy when we found out, and you were unconscious. When it finally got to the point where I _could_ tell you, we were already here and I'd already seen them chasing me down."

Leon shook his head, then flashed an understanding smile at the Echani. "It's fine, then," he said, letting go of his friend's shoulder. "But here's the deal – we still have almost a week until the Admiral arrives and we put our plan into action. At this point, it all basically comes down to a waiting game. This planet's a pleasure resort, so go out. Enjoy yourselves. Build a cover, be seen and be loud. Keep your Force Masks on you at all times, but don't wear them unless the need arises or we're alone. We have to appear like we're not the type to kidnap a Triumvirate admiral. So go get drunk, get in fights. Get laid." Mari scoffed at that one. Leon glared over at her. "And don't be sullen. I can tell you from personal experience that the Zeltrons will know and they won't like it."

"Well, then I suppose I'm off," Cade said, jumping off of the couch where he'd sat. "Don't wait up, Ladies." He took off his mask, letting it fold down so he could attach it to his belt. "I'll be going out for the night."

"It's ten in the morning," Mari said.

"Like I said. For the night," Cade repeated, already halfway out the door.

Leon shrugged and turned to the others. "What do you guys have planned?" he asked. Mari wordlessly left for her room. "So... not much then?"

"What is going on with you two?" Deranis asked, sitting down on the couch with a huff. "Her eyes have been firing turbolasers at you since we got here."

"Just..."

"Lover's spat?" Deranis asked. Leon shot the Echani an annoyed scowl. "So it's okay to mock me, but I turn it around and I'd better look out?"

"Oh, shut up," Leon growled. "Let me finish a single sentence, will you?"

"I couldn't resist," Deranis replied.

"You're oddly sarcastic for an Echani-Mandalorian," Leon noted. Deranis shrugged simply. "She... came onto me _pretty_ hard. I just suggested that we wait until she wasn't under the control of an empath field generated by some of the most hedonistic aliens in the galaxy."

"So you turned down sex? Sex on Zeltros?" Deranis asked. He raised an index finger and pointed toward the door Mari had just exited. "With _her?_ "

"That would be the general idea."

Deranis stared at the Knight for a moment, then burst out laughing. "Oh. Oh, Goddess above, that's rich," the Echani said between fits of laughter. He stopped and looked up at Leon. "Oh, you're serious. Wow. You sure you actually have a lightsaber?"

"Clever, really," Leon responded. He gave the Echani an overdone eye roll. "Your innuendo is so original." Leon sighed and shook his head. "It's _because_ this is Zeltros, Deranis. It had to be real. I want... that. Believe me, I nearly stopped thinking at all. I didn't follow through because if there was even a chance she'd regret it -"

"You embarrassed her," Deranis interjected.

"I – what?"

"You. Embarrassed. Her," Deranis explained more slowly, as if the Knight before him was far too stupid to understand. "Zeltros doesn't make people do things they don't _want_ to do, it just... makes them do what they want." Leon could hear the uncharacteristically jovial Echani's eyebrows wiggling behind the Force Mask. "Who they want."

"And with that, I'm leaving," Leon said, turning on his heel with enough speed for his jacket to whip around him like a robe. "Maybe Cade is doing something fun and _not_ making fun of me."

"Oh just wait till I comm him this," Deranis said, sighing with laughter. "He will be."

"Belay that," Leon ordered, though he knew it was pointless. Deranis would be joking with the old Jedi as soon as the door was closed. "I'll be back soon. Sooner than Cade, at the very least." Leon stood up and left the room, freezing in the doorway. He turned back to the Echani. "Take off the mask, remember?" The Echani sighed and did as asked. Leon smiled and raised his hand. "Sleep." The warrior growled as he fell to the couch, unconscious. "Good luck making fun of me, now."

SWSWSWSWSW

"Funny. The tracker in the Force Mask says he's _leaving_ the city," Leon grumbled to himself as he followed the dot on his datapad. He jumped across the street, rolling as he landed on the roof of the next building. The Knight had stopped using his own taxi when he'd realized his ally was nowhere near heading for the casino and brothel heavy center of the city that the taxi system focused on. There were some... less reputable areas for some pleasures that most off-worlders didn't understand that were mostly concentrated on the edges of the city, but the old Jedi wasn't slowing down even while he approached them. "Where are you headed?"

"He's going to -"

"I swear, if you say 'Betray me,' Revan, we're going to have a problem," Leon exasperatedly sighed as the Force Ghost appeared beside him.

"Hm... am I becoming that predictable?" the dead Sith asked, running through the air when Leon jumped to the next building. "Or are you perhaps learning to watch for betrayal."

"The former," Leon muttered angrily. "It's becoming a running joke at this point." Leon ran faster, trying to escape the presence of the Ghost.

"You do know that's pointless, right?" Revan asked. "I was really only running or walking to make you feel normal." Leon glanced over; Revan was just floating beside him at constant speed, arms crossed over his chest. "But if you'd prefer, I can just stick with this."

"And I thought you were annoying before," Leon grumbled as he looked down at the datapad again. "Okay. He's stopped... outside the city. Well, I don't know what he's doing out there – _not_ betraying me, I'm willing to bet, though."

"You are _no_ fun," Revan growled. He looked up at the sky. "Very well. Let's see just what my cousin is up to."

SWSWSWSWSW

Leon walked through the forested area outside of the capital city of Zeltros. "Why would he be all the way out here?" he asked as he followed the blip on his datapad. He was only a short distance away from Cade by this point, though he hadn't seen any clues as to why the old Jedi would be heading out this far. Just tree after tree. Leon looked over at Revan. "Not going to say it?"

"I see no point in wasting my breath at the moment," the Force Ghost retorted. He was still angry with Leon, but he had gone back to walking like a normal... not dead person. "Well... you know."

"Sure," Leon said. He rolled his eyes and pocketed the datapad. He walked silently for a short while and pushed past the edge of the next trees. "W-what?"

The old Jedi was standing at the top of a hill, staring at his feet. Leon could see the Force Mask on the ground at the war hero's feet, ignored and forgotten. He looked... sad. "Cade..." Leon whispered, asking himself what was going on. Cade wasn't the type to mope around in the forests... though, Leon supposed that was exactly how they'd met.

Cade's head suddenly shot up, glaring at Leon from the top of the hill; a green blade erupted into being at the old man's side and he was suddenly flying through the air. "I told you he was planning a betrayal!" Revan shouted, giddy with triumph. He laughed as Cade approached Leon. "I. Was. RIIIIIGHT!"

Leon raised his lightsaber and deflected Cade's attack, rolling back as he did. He started to bring his weapon up to catch Cade's blade again. Cade rushed forward, blade bearing down on the young Knight. "Cade!" Leon snapped as he awaited the blow. None came.

"Kid?" Cade asked, his weapon centimeters from Leon's head. The green light extinguished and Leon watched as Cade clipped his saber back on to his belt. The war hero groaned in annoyance. "What the _kark_ are you doing here?"

"I followed you," Leon supplied dumbly, weapon still raised defensively in front of him. Cade had apparently been holding back during the battle with Ana.

"Hm... not what I asked," Cade Skywalker pointed out.

"I was... bored. And I thought you'd be heading somewhere fun in the city," Leon explained, slowly letting his weapon fall to his side and turn off. "Imagine my surprise when you lead me on a brisk thirty mile run outside of the city limits. At that point, I just had to find out what you were up to that had you so secretive."

Cade narrowed his eyes and remained silent. "Ugh. Fine," he groaned. He turned and motioned for Leon to follow him up the hill. Leon glanced over his shoulder at where Revan had been a moment earlier, then walked up after Cade.

"Kid, I'm out here paying my respects. I haven't been here nearly as often as I should," Cade explained as the two walked up the hill. Leon glanced up, admiring the picturesque beauty of the area. The bright sky of Zeltros was in full view, and the sunlight was streaming down onto the meadow-like clearing. "Not nearly as often as she deserves."

"Who?" Leon asked. He swayed as the Jedi stopped suddenly in front of him and he nearly ran into the man. "Who's buried out here?"

"The only one that matters," Cade said, stepping to the side so Leon could see. It was an ornate gravestone, built into the shape of an old spaceship. In bright, pink Besh script was one word, and in a sky blue was another.

"Deliah Blue," Leon read aloud. He frowned, then his eyes widened. Deliah Blue was the woman who had traveled with Cade Skywalker during his fight against Darth Krayt and the Sith Empire of the time. History holos said that she was also the one who he disappeared with decades later. "The Deliah Blue. What happened? Did someone kill her?"

"Cancer," Cade remarked simply. He shrugged. "Not every death in this galaxy is the heroic sacrifice that ends some galaxy destroying war. Defeating your enemy doesn't mean that everything is going to be happy forever... something I learned the hard way."

"I...," Leon whispered, quietly staring down at the name. "I'm sorry."

"Thanks, but you don't have to be," Cade said with a shrug. The old Jedi put his hands and his pockets and sighed. "It's been decades. Only thing I regret is not leaving flowers as much I should. She'd have my head if she saw me moping around here like this."

"So why were you on Kashyyyk then?" Leon asked. The old man turned and looked at the young man with interest. "I mean... why not just settle down here, visit her every day?"

Cade laughed. "What? You really think a former pirate would want me to settle down and do nothing until I died?" he asked. He shook his head and continued laughing.

"Well, when you put it that way..." Leon said, sheepishly scratching the back of his head.

"She was... pure Caf, a lightsaber to the gut," the warrior explained. "Called me on my _kriff_ more than anyone else I've ever met. Not unlike a certain someone you know."

Leon blushed. "Yeah, well -"

"Oh, I got Deranis' messages. He woke up _pretty_ quick from your mind trick," the old Jedi said with a grin. "I mean, don't get me wrong, you made the right decision. But... you haven't talked to her since. Maybe that's why she won't talk to you – she's made the first move _every_ time so far. Maybe Blue's saying the Huttball's in your court?"

"Huh. You're giving awfully good advice for someone on Zeltros not wearing a Force Mask," Leon grumbled.

"Eh, it's not too hard to resist when there aren't any Zeltrons around," he explained with a shrug. "But you're right, it is good advice. I'm a _kriffing_ genius, Kid."

"Okay, stop pushing it," Leon said, placing his hand on Cade's shoulder. "You thought up one piece of good advice _after_ demonstrating that you did not take our battle with Ana seriously."

"Hm... I'm that obvious?" Cade asked. He sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I didn't take it seriously. Sue me." Leon raised an eyebrow. "Hey, don't get any ideas. I'm not worth anything."

"Fine. Setting aside legal action for now, why?" Leon asked.

Cade sighed and sat down next to the gravestone. "I... knew the fight wasn't mine," Cade said cryptically.

"Care to elaborate?" Leon asked.

Cade looked Leon in the eye. "I'm sure you know _exactly_ what I mean," Cade told the Knight. "So no, I don't."

Leon frowned and growled at the Jedi. "Fine," Leon finally groaned. He sighed and turned from the old Jedi. "I'll be heading back, okay?"

"I'd hurry if I were you," Cade called as Leon walked away. "You've got someone waiting angrily for you to stop being an idiot."

"It fits, but I don't think he means me," Revan grumbled from beside Leon.

SWSWSWSWSW

Leon sighed to himself as he stood in front of the door to Mari's resort room, wringing his hands. He didn't want to admit it, but the Chiss made him more nervous than a fight with a Jedi. At least he didn't have to worry about what Jedi thought of him – it wasn't usually favorable, so he didn't care. Mari on the other hand? Well, she made his mouth go dry and his head ache like he'd taken a month long bacta bath for the fifteenth time.

Leon shook his head and turned to leave. "Oh, come on," Revan groaned from beside the Knight. "Take. What. You. Want."

"I thought you were against this entire thing from the get go," Leon sighed, glancing over at the dead Sith.

"I _am_ ," Revan responded angrily. "But if you are intent on ignoring my sound advice, at least take what you want. I will not watch as my student fails to uphold that most simple tenet of the Sith philosophy."

"Good thing I'm not a Sith, then," Leon retorted, crossing his arms and glaring at the Sith. "I believe the codename I've been given is 'Gray Knight.' Gray, as in a few shades lighter than what you're looking for."

"Hmph. Allowing for that is one of my greatest mistakes," Revan growled. "It pains me to say that my apprentice was right about anything, but perhaps when it came to the Dark Side he was not a complete fool."

"What are you doing?"

Leon turned around, hand on his lightsaber. "I – Mari," he said, releasing his weapon and sighing. "I thought that you were still in your room."

She shrugged, the bags on her arms bobbing up and down. "I got bored," she said before turning to her door and sliding the passcard across the lock. The door beeped and the door flew open. Mari turned her Force Masked face back to Leon; he could tell that she was frowning beneath the mask. "I decided to do some shopping, look like a tourist. That's what you wanted right?"

"Mari, I think we should talk," Leon said. He followed her through her door and into her room.

"What do we have to talk about?" the Sith asked, dropping her bags on the floor. "It's fine. I get it."

"Do you?" Leon asked. Mari didn't respond, leaving the Knight to continue. "Mari, I... like you. A lot. I didn't want something as stupid as... Zeltros messing it all up."

"What, you were afraid I didn't like you or something?" she asked.

"No. But... I didn't know if you were ready," he explained. He held his hands up and waved them around, searching for words. "I didn't know if you would have wanted it, and you haven't come and asked me since. So I'm assuming you didn't."

"I didn't think _you_ wanted it!" she responded, shoving the Knight away. "You didn't come running to see me either."

"But I – I just... Ugh..." Leon buried his face in his hands and groaned irritably. "Women... Confuse me."

"Really? And here I thought you had _all_ the game," Mari muttered dryly.

"That's my point!" Leon shouted. "I've either been dealing with fighting in a war or dueling Jedi for almost a year now." Mari raised an eyebrow, causing Leon to groan again and clutch at his forehead. "I mean – oh, whatever. I want to, but I didn't want to push you into anything."

"That's sweet," Mari admitted. Then she crossed her arms and Leon felt her glare through her Force Mask. "But I'm a Sith. I doubt even this Force-blasted empath field could push me into something. Face it, you done goofed."

Leon sighed. "Probably, huh?" the Knight chuckled, rubbing the back of his head.

Mari laughed at the Knight's sheepish grin, a noise that made Leon blush. "So... what now?" she asked, placing one hand on her hip and cocking her head to the side at the Knight.

Leon grinned and dashed forward, grabbing the Chiss by the waist. She yelped in surprise as the revealed skin on her side touched that of his fingers. "I'm sure we can... entertain ourselves," he suggested, pulling her close and placing his other hand on her hip.

"I like the way you think," she replied, already taking off her Force Mask. Among... other things. "About damn time."


	29. Playing Heroes

**AN: Sorry it's been a little while. I had Finals and other pressing matters, as well as working on my other stories. Hope everyone had a good couple weeks!**

Leon woke up feeling better than he had in a long while. His arm was slightly numb from the weight of the woman's head resting on his bicep, a dull tingling running down the length of his arm and up his fingers. It wasn't uncomfortable, instead reminding the Knight of the almost electric nature of how her skin felt against his. He slowly raised his hand over the sheets and delicately pushed a stray strand of her blue hair from her face to rest it behind her ear. She stirred slightly, murmuring in her sleep, but quickly returned to her rest. Leon didn't move his fingers from her face, his skin just barely dragging against hers. He examined her face, the curve of her nose, the dip of her eye sockets. The corners of her lips were tugged up in a natural smile. Being both a Chiss _and_ a Sith, it was slightly arrogant and more than a little self assured, though Leon preferred it that way. It showed that innate confidence he found so appealing in her.

Mari turned again, causing the sheets atop her to rustle and her metallic arm to drag across Leon's chest, the fingers carrying a slight metallic chill before leaving his skin and coming down again on his own hand. His fingers instinctively curled around hers, warming the synthetic nerves laced through the metal. He gripped her midsection and slid his face down, nuzzling his chin over her shoulder, breathing in her hair, taking in the moment. He wasn't sure, but he thought he'd even let his guard down enough to take in some of the emotion-strengthening empath field. Leon sighed contentedly into her neck and shut his eyes again.

He stayed like that for a while, just enjoying being with her, feeling skin against skin. The edge of her unconscious thought drifted across the periphery of his mind, giving him fleeting, accidental glances into her dreams. His face popped up a few times. A starship – the Eagle. Two Chiss with faces obscured by light. A blood red lightsaber clashing in a brilliant light with one of a glowing white. Memories faded by time and the subconscious' fleeting whims. Things even her sleeping mind considered important.

The memory of the prior night resurfaced, scratching against his psyche. He smiled and clutched her closer. "So that's what you're thinking about?" she asked, her face turning towards his until their noses dragged across one another. "I'm glad you liked it – though I don't remember that much dim, red light."

Leon smiled – that last memory _had_ been coming from his own thoughts. "Passion of the memory," he suggested, thinking of the Sith Code.

"Passion?" Mari laughed at that, angling her head down so her breath collided with his throat. Her gaze drifted back up to his; her small, flirtatious smile was visible only for a moment before her lips found Leon's, pulling him into a passionate, hungry embrace. She twisted between his arms and grabbed his face with one hand, letting the other circle around one side of his neck. She pulled away a moment later, letting her lips hover just apart from his. "How does that passion compare?"

He answered wordlessly, moving his mouth forward to lock with hers. His hands ran up her back until his fingers entangled in her hair, clutching her head closer to his own. Her own hands drifted down to his chest and then around to his back, clutching at him. Leon shifted the weight of his body to the side until he was laying atop her and moved his mouth to her neck. Marien moaned appreciatively and Leon continued through the beeping of a comm on the floor beside the bed. He began drifting down Mari's body, causing her to shudder with every plant of his lips.

Then the comm beeped again and Deranis' voice drifted through. "Gray, Blue – we've got trouble." Leon stopped at Mari's abdomen, considering ignoring the call. What could be _so_ important when he had this beautiful, blue Chiss beneath him? The two of them could get into their own trouble, and it would undoubtedly be a thousand times more fun than whatever was going to happen once he picked up that communicator. "Big trouble, and it involves you, glorious leader."

The Gray Knight sighed, but still tried to ignore it. At least until Mari pushed his up to his knees, glaring in annoyance at the place from where the Echani's voice had come. "I can't even feel the empath field anymore," she said.

Leon began to retort angrily, thinking she didn't want to continue because of that. Then he froze. If she couldn't feel it, that means something was disrupting it. Something was attacking, and it was big. "We'll be picking up where we left off later," Mari said, gripping Leon's shoulders to pull herself into a sitting position. Her voice said it was a suggestion. Her eyes: a command.

"Promise," Leon agreed, leaning forward and planting a quick, but no less passionate kiss on her mouth. He broke it and jumped from the bed to dress himself for whatever crisis it was this time.

"Guys!"

"On our way!" Leon growled into his communicator.

SWSWSWSWSW

"What in the name of a half-blooded, bastard Sithspawn could have been so important to pull me from," Leon began, glancing over at Mari for a moment before looking back at Deranis, "incredibly important matters?"

"You mean finishing the Kessel run?" Cade asked, eyes glinting with sarcastic joy. Leon glared dryly at the old man, completely annoyed. "Less than twelve parsecs, or could you last longer?"

"Parsecs are distance," Leon grumbled angrily, turning his gaze from Cade and back to the Echani. "What. Is. It?"

"I'd stop with the jokes. His eyes have that same yellow glint as Stauen's," Deranis suggested to the old Jedi, who just shrugged nonchalantly and gestured for the Echani to hurry it up. He sighed and response and turned back to Leon. "Your old buddy's back. The one from Coruscant. And Corellia."

" _Kriff_ ," Leon grunted, running his hand through his hair and leaning on the table and groaning. "That Jedi asshole again? What's going on?"

"Well, that's the where the problem comes in. The resort's trying to keep it hush hush, though I don't think they'll be able to for much longer," Cade said, drawing Leon's gaze. "We only heard about it because some droid from the front desk contacted us. Said he couldn't reach you and decided to call us instead. Your buddy? He's got this place on lock down, screaming for the 'Black bladed Sith' to come and face him."

"Oh, _kark_ ," Leon groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I _knew_ letting that guy live was going to come back and bite me in the ass."

"Just another problem the traitorous bitch left for us to fix," Mari growled, shaking her head. "I should have let you kill him on our way out."

"Can't focus on that now," Leon said, grimacing. He looked around the room. "What else is there?"

"He's apparently placed bombs all around the building. He'll blow 'em if we try to escape," Cade explained. "So bolting now isn't an option."

"How did he even find us?" Leon growled to himself. He sighed and shook his head, letting his chin fall to his chest.

"What's the plan, Commander?" Cade asked.

Leon sighed and ran both of his hands through his hair, thinking it through. "We give him what he wants," Leon said coolly. He unclipped his saber from his hip. "I'll keep him busy so that you three can find and get rid of the bombs. I'm sure he's got people with the disarming codes guarding them."

"And if he doesn't?" Mari asked.

Artoo whistled. "He can defuse them. It'll just take some time getting him from site to site," Cade explained.

"Then that's our backup plan. I'll keep the Jedi busy while you three – four, sorry Artoo – track down and get rid of the bombs," Leon said. He thumbed the activator for his lightsaber, the black blade igniting with a dangerous hum of power. "Let's go."

SWSWSWSWSW

"I told you to bring me the Sith!" the Falling Jedi Knight screamed, waving his saber around him, the burning hot plasma searing through the air inches from the faces of many bystanders. The people screamed in fear, shrinking away from the violently unhinged Jedi. "Where is he!?"

"We do not have any Sith staying here currently," the manager said, trying to use his empathic abilities to calm the Jedi.

It only made him angrier. His yellow saber flashed towards the manager, immediately removing the man's arm from his body. "Do not try to control a Jedi," the man growled, sticking his arm out towards the Zeltron and exerting a noose of power on his throat.

"Sir," the former Triumvirate marine cautioned.

The Jedi paid his underling no heed, instead twisting his fist and instantly snapping the manager's throat. "Is there anyone here who will tell me what I want?" he growled, tossing the Zeltron's body aside lazily. "Anyone!?"

"Statement: He'll kill you."

The Jedi turned slowly towards the source of the smug, mechanical voice. It was a simple serving droid, though it appeared to have been passed over for more than a few dozen memory wipes. He was unique, an impossibility on a planet where the species wanted so much control over the experiences of all present. An anomalous twist in the fabric of the Force. An annoyance. "So you know who I'm looking for," the Jedi muttered, his voice a low, dangerous growl. "Where is he?"

"Response: I am unsure. Thinly Veiled Threat: Likely watching you. Waiting for you to make a single mistake. Explanation: The idiots here were mumbling about an organic with a black lightsaber that took out twenty Mandalorians on his own. Gleeful Statement: He'll kill you... Meatbag."

"You believe you have a connection to him?" the Jedi asked, examining the droid. He raised his yellow saber to its thin, metallic neck, causing the droid to groan in annoyed frustration. "Perhaps you know a way to contact him?"

"Sarcastic Reply: Yes, threaten me. I'm a one of a kind droid after all," the sarcastic synth said, crossing its arms over its chassis. "Caustic Remark: And I thought the meatbags I met on a daily basis were morons."

"You're right, this one wins the race, HK," a familiar voice said from the other side of the room. There was a flurry of blaster bolts being shot, the barrels of multiple former Triumvirate soldiers _vworp_ ing as they cast plasma through the air and towards the Gray Knight. An equal number of rebound noises came just moments later, the newcomer's saber flashing through the air to send each shot through the face of the man who had sent it. Every former soldier fell to the ground, dead.

The Jedi turned slowly, his eyes flaring into a dull yellow. "Monster," he said, performing a Makashi salute and narrowing his eyes hidden behind his Force Mask. The Gray Knight was wearing new skin but he was the same man beneath the clothes. Arrogant, dry. Powerful. Even now, on a planet where the empath field could permeate every thought, it was like the Gray Knight was a bubble of his own thoughts and energies. A maelstrom of the Force and of power itself. "I was hoping to see you again. Repay you for the embarrassment you brought me through my defeats."

"Hah. Well if it weren't for the traitor, I would've killed you twice already and been done with it," Leon retorted, holding his weapon in front of him. The Jedi looked... unhinged. His hair was perfectly done, and he likely looked composed to any eye of a normal man. But in the eye of the Force? There was a black emptiness where he stood, a palpable darkness of hatred and anger. He was filled with rage and a desire to spread that rage to all who came near him. Leon could see the gleaming yellow eyes even in the brightness of the Zeltronian atrium, the rage filled eyes glancing around to cast fear into the hearts of all the bystanders. "Though maybe this is a better victory – you look the part of a Sith, now."

At that, the Jedi roared in rage and leaped into action. The yellow saber flashed through the air, crashing with a heavy hiss against Leon's weapon. "If it is a Sith that can kill you, I would become the darkest of Dark Lords, the most power hungry master of ancient rage," the Jedi snarled, his voice a low, angry hiss that matched the clashing blades. "I would do anything to flood the starways in the blood of a monster like you."

"Well, then you could kill yourself," Leon suggested, lashing out with his leg. The Jedi dashed back, dodging the move. "Look around, Jedi! Are these people not those you swore to protect?!"

"I protect them best by destroying the Sith at all avenues," the Jedi retorted, twirling and bringing his blade around to bisect Leon. The Knight flipped over the blade, the yellow saber passing centimeters below his head as he did. "Your destruction is my greatest gift to them."

"Even at the cost of their safety? Their lives!?" Leon snapped as he landed. He drove his weapon forward, only to have his stab parried by the yellow weapon. Leon turned that deflection into his own spinning, sweeping blow. The Jedi brought his own weapon around and blocked the attack, barely budging from the force of the blow. "Do you hear yourself?"

"I am a Jedi! I am never beyond redemption, Sith," the Jedi growled, his blonde hair more of a sickly gray by this point. Leon felt his heart pumping hard in his chest, terrified thoughts running across his mind. Was _this_ the final result of the Dark Side, a hollow, raging shell of what once lived? Was this what the Emperor looked like? This was similar to what Darth Vallen looked like, though she somehow made it work for her; a dangerous attractiveness locked behind her eyes. Which would _she_ inevitably become? What would Mari become if she Fell too far?

"Concentrate on me, Monster!" the Jedi snapped, slamming his forehead into Leon's. The Gray Knight stumbled backwards, stars flashing in his eyes and his lightsaber floundering in front of him. The Force must have had further plans for him, because his wild slash deflected one of the Jedi's incoming blows. "I'm not going to be ignored! Give me your all! Die like the animal you are!"

"Damn, your a few crystals short of a lightsaber," Leon muttered, dashing forward and launching into a flurry of attacks so that their sabers crashed into each other like a series of thunder blasts. Leon feinted an attack, then brought the blade around and slashed it upward at the Jedi's head. The warrior jumped back so that only his robes were hit, leaving a huge gash along the chest of his robes. "Wonder why you're so _kriffing_ stupid you'd want to go for round three when you've lost every time so far."

"A Jedi never gives in!"

"Except to the Dark Side, apparently," Leon sneered, redirecting the yellow blade of the Fallen Jedi and leaning to the side to dodge, giving the whole movement an effortless look. "That's somethin' you guys give in to left and right, huh?"

The Jedi hissed angrily and Force jumped towards the Knight again, only for Leon to laugh and flick his wrist. The Jedi tumbled through the air as soon as the Force blast collided with him, crashing into the wall. "Is that the best you've got? I gotta say, I'm a little disappointed," Leon said with a shrug. He advanced on the prone Jedi. "But I'll tell you what – you tell your Triral rejects to disarm your bombs, and I won't holomessage your Jedi Master that his padawan is nothing more than another second rate Fallen Jedi who can't keep the Dark Side in his pants longer than an hour."

"You've probably seen him more recently than I!" the Jedi snarled, surging to his feet. Leon scoffed and raised his weapon, knowing he would soon effortlessly deflect the blow. However, the attack never came. Instead, Leon watched in horror as the Jedi appeared beside HK-i. "Now, you seem to care about this droid. I don't know why, but you've somehow linked with it through the Force. That's rare. Which tells me one thing: this is how I can let the monster out to play."

Leon jumped forward, already hearing Revan's dark laughter in the back of his mind. Leon knew that this is what the late Sith had intended when suggesting that Leon name the droid. He knew things were coming and planned accordingly, all in the name of driving Leon further towards the Dark Side. Now decapitating a droid wouldn't necessarily kill it: it's possible that the droid's personality matrix would survive, or that it could at least be partially salvaged. But Leaon couldn't help but fall prey to that trap when the Jedi decapitated HK-i. The Dark Side was released, just as Revan had planned it.


	30. Tasting the Dark Side

**AN: Sorry it's been so long. I had a lot going on – finals, spring break. It's good to be back. I hope you enjoy this! Please, leave a review if you do.**

Marien easily spun around the flurry of blaster fire that the ex-marines had fired at her, even batting a few of the bolts back at the mass of soldiers with the second blade of her lightsaber as she did. Their high pitched screams gave the Dark Side coursing through her veins an extra jolt of energy as she subconsciously fed off of their anguish. Another volley of energy flew towards her and she dove over it, rolling beneath the next wall of blaster fire and making her way past one of the corners to wait for another break in the fire. "Okay, I'm almost at the main entrance," Leon's voice chirped in her ear. "Is everyone making headway into finding any of the bombs?"

"I'm at one," Mari responded. "Fiftieth floor, north wall."

"Me, too," Cade said, Artoo chirping in the background and memorizing her location. "Artoo's shutting it off – eighty-second floor, south wall.

"I haven't found one yet, but I'll keep looking," Deranis replied last. "But the sub-levels are messing with my scanners, so it might take a while."

"You'll be fine, Mandalore," Leon mocked the Echani warrior. There was a _snap-hiss_ over the comm line as he drew his saber. "Get moving, call out whenever you guys disarm one."

"Roger roger," Mari mumbled, cutting the comm line. She jumped out from her cover, spinning her saber around her in an impenetrable barrier of plasma. Blaster fire ricocheted away from her as she advanced slowly down the hallway, the smell of burning metal following her as her lightsaber slashed through the walls. When she had some room to maneuver, she turned out of her saber wall and lashed out with her left hand. Purple energy crackled beneath her fingertips, then quickly flew from her hand. The marines screamed in pain, dropping their blasters as they were slowly cooked by her abilities. She knew she couldn't kill them, though, so she began to slowly tone her powers down until they were no longer in danger of dying.

As the last one hit the ground, nervous systems still firing spasms throughout their bodies, Mari flourished her lightsaber until it came to a rest behind her. She walked towards the groaning, burnt forms of the ex-Triumvirate soldiers. "Now, does anyone here have the deactivation code for the bomb?" she asked, raising her robotic appendage again and letting energy crackle in her palm.

"We'll never tell you, Sith!" one of the soldiers shouted.

"Really?" she asked, placing her hand on her hip. "I'm sure _you_ wouldn't. Well, for the rest of you, learn from his loyalty." She gripped the soldier by the cuff of his jacket, and threw him into the nearest window. It shattered from the force of the blow, and the ex-marine screamed in terror as he fell. Mari breathed in the fear, taking a moment to calm herself before she did anything rash, then turned back to the other soldiers. "Now, does anyone here have the deactivation code for the bomb?"

"Um..." one of the soldiers began. Mari turned to see him gesturing out of the window.

The Chiss sighed. "Figures," she muttered. She raised her saber and cut the bearer of bad news in two before advancing on the next.

"Wait! Wait! I... I can tell you how many bombs there are!" the man screamed, holding his hands above him.

"Great job, Gar. She's going to kill you anyways," one of the other soldiers muttered. Without looking, Mari tossed her lightsaber towards him and cut off his next words.

"Maybe. Or maybe I won't," Mari said. "You're just going to have to trust me when I say 'I promise I won't.' Not that the word of a _Sith_ means anything."

The soldier gulped in fear, glancing at the headless corpses of his former brethren. "Going once," Mari said.

"There's only four!" the man screeched, clutching at his head and curling into a ball. "Here. The 82nd floor, and two in the sub-levels – basement one and the bottom level. That's all I know!"

"Very good," Mari said. She raised her lightsaber and brought it down... on all of the man's brothers in arms. "You get to live. But your friends don't." She raised her hand and summoned electricity to her hand once more, cooking the other survivors from the inside out as the most afraid of them cried to himself, disgusted with his own survival.

"Artoo, we're open on the fiftieth floor," Mari said over comms as the dying screams died out. "And I know how many bombs there are – four. You and Cade kill yours, then come up here to help me. The last two are in the sublevels."

SWSWSWSWSW

Cade lazily deflected the wild blows of the padawan who was attacking him, growing increasingly bored with the orange-sabered warrior's sloppy attack style. The Jedi in Training was a young woman, a Zeltron with blood red skin and deep blue hair who exuded just the kind of calm, dispassionate distance from the battle that the Jedi loved so much. Well, modern Jedi at least. She was forcing herself to care so little she didn't really care how the fight went. "You aren't putting enough force behind your attacks," Cade told the padawan as he effortlessly moved past a swipe of her lightsaber. "You'll never hit anyone if you don't try."

The padawan didn't reply. "So what's a little junior Jedi like you doing placing bombs in the center of a city?" Cade asked. He hadn't even bothered igniting his saber, given how far she was from actually hitting him. "I mean, back when I was a kid, they were kind of against doing that."

"I have not," was the only reply.

Cade laughed and glanced past her at the bomb. "I beg to differ," he said, ducking underneath her attack and placing his hands in his pockets. "Unless you're trying to tell me that the thing giving off bomb readings isn't really a bomb. I mean, it _is_ giving off the readings of a bomb, right Artoo?"

The droid whistled sarcastically. "Ah, so... back to why you're trying to bomb a city."

"I am not," the woman replied, a tinge of annoyance breaking through her stony facade.

"Well, if it ticks like a bomb," Cade said with a shrug, "and it explodes violently like a bomb... I'm going to guess it's a bomb."

"It is not real. It was a threat necessary to prevent your commander from attempting to escape, Sith," she responded coolly.

"Sorry to break it to you, sweet cheeks, but I ain't a Sith," Cade replied, moving his head to the side when she tried to stab his face. He grinned – both because she was starting to care about this fight _and_ because Artoo had slipped past her to start disarming the bomb. He laughed as she slashed at his legs and he jumped easily over it. "Actually, I'm a _Jedi_. It's why this whole bomb thing confuses me."

"You cannot confuse me, Sith. At best you are a Fallen Jedi," she responded.

"Ha! Sure, and that's not a bomb," Cade retorted with a grin. He ducked beneath the next wild slash of her saber and grabbed her wrist. He stood up straight, twisting the padawan's arm until she cried out in pain and dropped her saber. Then he... just let go. "Get your allies and get out of here, little girl. These bombs are real, and you're only getting in our way."

"Braeden would never plant bombs!" the padawan snapped, shoving Cade. The old Jedi didn't budge.

"So you know him. I'm guessing old friends – probably knew him before he became a newly minted Knight or something like that?" Cade asked, barely paying attention. Artoo was spinning around victoriously; one bomb down, three to go. "You know, it doesn't _kriffing_ matter. You're out of your depth, and you can't see your old friend for what he is. A _Fallen_ _ **Jedi**_. Some of the worst Sith ever were Fallen Jedi, so you should watch them more closely, maybe, than your enemies."

"Do – Do not try and turn me, Sith!" the Jedi commanded quietly.

"Do what you will," Cade said, waving his hand over his shoulder. He made a move to leave, the stopped and drew his saber. He brought it down and the Jedi's saber burned in two.

"Why not kill me?" the Jedi asked as Cade began to walk away. He glanced over his shoulder. "I am not afraid – there is no death, there is only the Force."

Cade glanced at the ground. "Yeah, well, you just remind me of someone I knew," Cade said, waving the girl away before he turned and continued to leave. Artoo whistled and followed his master past the Jedi. "What's your name?"

"I am Padawan Detriae Lerscat," the trainee said, her brow furrowed and her face full of cool, careful focus. "I will become a Jedi, and I will help stop you and your Empire, Sith."

Cade laughed and glanced back at her. "I'm Cade Skywalker," he said, reveling in the girl's terrified and awed stare. "And if you ever tire of being a 'Jedi' when it doesn't really mean anything anymore, come and find me. I still remember when the Jedi didn't assassinate families and erase children's memories of their parents."

"Guys – mine's deactivated," he said over comms.

SWSWSWSWSW

"Did you feel that?" Marien asked Cade as he came down the hall with Artoo. She was pacing worriedly, tapping her inactive lightsaber against her hip. Her every movement was filled with hunger and fear.

"Yeah, I did," he said. Artoo whistled angrily as he walked by. "Well, you can't feel the Force, so of course no one's asking you." He looked back up at Mari. "That was a lot of Dark Side energy."

"You don't think it was..."

"Who the _kark_ else would it be?" Cade asked. He sighed. "Artoo and me'll go help Deranis find the bombs in the sublevels. You make sure your boyfriend is still alive, okay?"

Mari glanced down. "Are you sure, Cade?"

He pointed down the hall. "Go."

Mari looked over at the bomb, then back at Cade. "Okay." She nodded and took off towards the turbolift, lightsaber clutched tightly in her hand. She slid to a stop outside f the lift and slammed her thumb into the down button over and over; feeling the ever increasing Dark Side presence was unnerving her further and further. Despite her comfort with the Dark Side as a Sith, the magnitude of the power was oppressive. It drowned out everything, and she was sure that it was affecting the entire planetary empath field. The door finally flew open, revealing a Rodian Jedi. He stared up at her in surprise and drew a pair of green lightsabers, bringing them down onto the newly ignited red blades of Mari's saber.

"Dammit, I don't have time for this," she groaned. She shoved the Jedi's sabers off to the right and kicked the Jedi in the chest. He slammed into the wall of the lift, and Mari jammed one end of her saber through his chest. She took a step back and deactivated her lightsaber. She glanced over at the glowing arrow pointing downward, and she growled. " _Kriff_." She turned around and took off towards Cade. " _Kriff, kark, kriff, kriff, kark!_ "

"What's wrong, Blue?" Cade said, meeting her in the middle of the hallway.

"There's another bomb or something somewhere upstairs," she told the old Jedi. She shook her head. "Jedi was on his way down when I got to the lifts. Change of plans. I'll go help Deranis find the bombs in the sublevels, you go up and look for whatever that Jedi had."

Cade sighed. "Fine."

SWSWSWSWSW

Things were different this time. The Dark Side wasn't flooding Leon's mind like it usually did when he gave in. The rage was still there, driving his movements to become faster and more powerful. But he was in control of himself this time. "What's the matter, Jedi?!" Leon spat as he deflected the next of the Jedi's attacks like it was the clumsy movement of a child before landing a glancing blow on the Jedi's elbow. The Jedi screamed in pain as his most exposed nerve on his body was knicked with surgical precision. Leon snarled in cruel joy, enjoying that he had barely touched the point with his weapon. "Are you truly this weak?"

"I will destroy you, Sith!" the Jedi screamed, swiping wildly with his Saber. Leon laughed and sidestepped, flipping over the front desk and swiping his hand across his body. One of the columns shattered and the stone flew at the Jedi. He merely sidestepped the rock and threw his weapon at Leon.

"Perhaps if you had any skill," Leon snapped, grabbing the lightsaber out of the air and Force jumping towards his opponent. He landed a kick in the center of the Jedi's chest and he flew back, slamming into the wall. Leon threw the lightsabers after the Jedi, and the weapons burned through both of his shoulders, pinning the Jedi to the wall. "Unfortunately, I was already better than you. Now? Well, you're basically nothing. Which, ironically, is exactly I'm going to make your _precious_ Triumvirate. I'll burn Coruscant to the ground, and kill everyone there. And _damn_ I'll like it."

The Jedi roared and struggled forward, but could only scream in pain as the plasma rubbed against bone and muscle. "I'll destroy you!"

Leon grinned and walked towards the Jedi, placing his hand on the Jedi's forehead. "Cute. Really. But, let's see if you actually have anything between those _kriffing_ ears." And, without knowing _how_ he was doing it, Leon jumped into the Jedi's mind.

He moved backwards through the man's memories, enjoying the cruel, pained spasms that the man's body gave out every few moments as Leon ripped information from his mind. The Jedi wasn't privy to many secrets that would make a difference in the war – in fact, Leon was sure the Imperial Intelligence had already taken more than what this puny mind contained at all in the darkest recesses of the 'information cells' in Raxus Prime. That didn't detract from the joy of ripping it out of the Jedi's mind as painfully as possible.

"Dig. Tear. Rip it all out," a voice from within the memories commanded. Leon grinned and pressed onward as the voice urged him. "Kill him. _Burn_ him, Leon." Leon let Force lightning arc from his fingers as he continued to dig through the man's mind. It didn't matter how trivial the information was, Leon would tear it out as if it were state secrets.

With every secret, Leon made sure to taunt the Jedi. "Oh, this will be good. That was the missing piece of the puzzle in our information," he mentally whispered. "This is... no. No, we already knew that one."

"Get... out of my... head... monster!" the Jedi snarled, vainly trying to fight against Leon's encroaching mind. "Stop!"

Leon laughed, enjoying the screams of pain. Then he stumbled across something that made him stop. "Who are you?" he asked as his mind's eye saw a figure who stood out amongst the swirl of the Jedi's memories. The black hood of the man turned slightly, revealing a very familiar mask. "R-Revan?"

The man turned away and a path through the memories opened; the man advanced slowly down them, waiting for Leon to follow. "Revan!" he focused and followed the clearly marked path that the Ghost had left for him. "Revan, where are you -"

Leon stopped when he saw himself in a Triumvirate uniform, standing over the body of a Triumvirate soldier. "The _kark_ ," he muttered, feeling his rage ebb. He looked around – this wasn't the Jedi's memories. Then... postcognition or precognition? He looked around. This was the _Jagged Fel_. Postcognition, then.

"Look, it's a Triral!" a soldier in Sith armor shouted, rushing towards Leon.

"I don't... remember this," Leon muttered to himself as his former body turned around, angrily brandishing his vibroblade.

"Wait – that's one of the Spec Ops officers," another soldier said. Leon narrowed his eyes in confusion. What was going on? "S-sir, why are you wearing tha-"

Leon choked on nothing as the watched his body jump into action, screaming like an angry, hungry animal. His blade slashed out, just barely missing the throat of the first soldier. "Sir, what are you-?"

Leon growled angrily and a wave of dark energy pulsed off of Leon's body, immediately disintegrating the first of the soldiers. "The _kark!?_ " the other soldier screamed, raising his blaster. It was too slow, however, as Leon had already dashed past the blaster and cut it in two. The energy fizzled in the soldier's hands. He screamed as Leon's blade jabbed right through his throat, causing an explosion of red blood to pour over Leon.

Leon stumbled backwards, the connection with the postcognitive vision and the Jedi's mind shattering. His eyes widened, and his breath caught in his throat. He looked around at the terrified faces of the Zeltrons watching him. There were lightsaber marks of his careless attacks and blocks that came terribly close to the hostages. Some were even dead. Had he... had he killed any of them?

"Leon, Leon, are you – what the hell?" Mari asked as she saw the Jedi pinned to the wall, an angry catatonic glare on his face. She looked around the room. "Why is he still alive?"

Leon didn't answer. He just stared blankly at the ground, the image of his brothers in arms dying, the sensation of the warm blood soaking his skin, the noise of their death screams. "Wh-wha-why?" he stuttered nervously to himself. He could still see their eyes. Was that what the Dark Side did to him? Make him insane? He'd done this before, but he'd never actually killed anyone. But he had. How long until he did that again? Until he killed someone else? Someone he loved? His eyes drifted towards Marien, who was advancing on the Jedi.

"Looks like you got to take his lightsaber twice," she said, smiling darkly. The Chiss raised her robotic prosthetic and grabbed the yellow lightsaber sticking out of the Jedi's shoulder. She looked over at Leon. "Do the honors?" He didn't respond, instead watching his hands shake, envisioning that blood still coated them; he began to rub them together, a nervous tick. Marien frowned worriedly, then turned back to the Jedi, ready to take those negative emotions out on him. "Then I guess it's mine." She plunged the lightsaber through the Jedi's skull. "Finally done with _that_ Nerf Herder, huh?"

Leon didn't respond, still stuck in those repeating images.

"Well, there's no way that the mission isn't being scrubbed now," Mari muttered. She clicked open her comms. "Guys, it's probably time to call the Admiral."

SWSWSWSWSW

Admiral Van Taas was sitting calmly at his office desk, actually getting work done for once. He would soon be on a three day trip to Zeltros to talk with them about ending their neutrality, a long overdue conversation. With any luck, the Zeltronian technology that revolved around mental manipulation, the defense thereof, and some surprisingly powerful weapons tech would be locked down under Triumvirate control and would bring the Empire one step closer to surrender. Peace, a concept that the man was worried he had been forgetting during the war as it dragged on.

Numerous battles with countless sacrifices that tested the limits of Van's humanity, that made him question whether or not he deserved to even win. But every time, the Empire would do something worse. Revan had been sparing, but cruel, in his war. His apprentice... was just cruel. He took any chance he could to exterminate as many lives as possible. He offered no chance for planets to surrender to the Empire, instead marching through their defenses with the reasoning that they could have surrendered before he got there.

He frowned. At least his limited free time on Zeltros would be able to turn his mind from such things, and from Ana's sudden disappearance. None of his informants placed throughout the Empire or the Triumvir's command structure had been able to learn anything about where the former Imperial Knight was being held, or if she was even still alive. This could only have meant one of three things: she was dead, the Empire knew who his spies were, or... the Triumvirs were limiting his influx of information yet again.

If he was being honest with himself, it was the last one. The three heads of state had become increasingly secretive over the course of the war, and he wouldn't have been surprised if they were hiding secrets almost as bad as the ones their predecessors had. The things that had come out just after the war broke out... Van shoved them from his mind, not wanting to deal with them again. "Sir, I couldn't stop them from -"

Van looked up as the voice of his assistant came from the now open door. Preceded by – "Speak of the Sithspawn," Van muttered, forcing himself to his feet and hobbling towards them with his cane. He stopped between the three – the Korun male Jedi Grandmaster named Sabe Verdu, the newly elected Chancellor – an Iridonian woman named Lana-Kaor – and the Chiss Grand Moff Taaora'shurim'nudo. Not that Van would ever try pronouncing that name; he stuck with calling the woman Taora. He forced a smile and glanced around at the Triumvirs. "What can I do for you all?"

"Leave us," the Chancellor commanded Van's assistant. She glanced over at her boss for affirmation and he just nodded assuringly. The Iridonian returned her attention to Van. "Your trip to Zeltros has been canceled."

"What?" Van snorted. He shook his head and scoffed. "No. This has been in the books for months, it might be our only chance at getting Zeltros to break their neutrality. It's too important to -"

"They've already broken their neutrality," the Grand Moff growled. She placed her hands on her hips and frowned. "To the Sith."

Van froze. "They... are joining the Sith Empire?" he asked, stunned. He glanced around and slammed the tip of his cane on the ground. "What the hell happened that they'd do that!?"

Both of the other Triumvirs looked over at the Grandmaster accusingly. Sabe sighed and crossed his brown-robed arms. "A Jedi Knight led a small breakaway group to Zeltros after learning that a group of Sith were there. The group that... Ana Gann was traveling with."

"Ana was – Ana was the spy?" he asked, trembling in anger. "You let the most wanted woman in Imperial Space spy there without backup?" The Admiral laughed hysterically and derisively at the Triumvirs. "Whose miraculously stupid idea was that?"

"That is not important at the moment," Sabe growled, annoyed at the insubordination.

"What is important is that this Knight – Braeden, I believe you know him – and his ex-marine followers placed bombs throughout one of the most popular resorts on Zeltros and held the entire building hostage," Lana-Vaor explained.

Van scoffed. "Of course they'd break neutrality, then. A Jedi waving a lightsaber around and threatening to kill people isn't good for PR, dammit," he mocked. He growled. "So now that you've _karked_ up my plans for the next week, I suggest you get the _kriff_ out. I need to work on damage control before more of the neutral planets make a break for the Empire."

"We already have people on that," Vaor responded. "You are needed for something else, Admiral."

His eyes narrowed. "What?"

They all hesitated for a moment. "I... We are going to tell you just what she was looking for in the Sith Empire," Vaor explained deliberately. "The Drive was... secondary after what she found on the Fel. Her early reports contained intelligence on something much more dangerous than simple plans. She... she found something with which you are both quite familiar. Some...one."

Taora sighed and picked up where her ally left off. "It's time for you to see exactly what we've been doing since you and Ana Gann led the assassination attempt on Darth Revan." She was silent for a while, then looked up. "Follow us. We've already cleared your schedule for the week."

Van frowned. The entire week? Just where could his bosses be taking him that he would be free for the rest of the Standard Week? He shrugged in defeat. "Lead on, then," he suggested.


	31. Every Game of Dejarik Needs Pawns'

Much as Marien had expected, their mission on Zeltros had been scrubbed. As soon as the Zeltronian security forces had filed their reports, the crew had basically become planetary celebrities, which isn't very good for keeping a low profile. The announcement had already been made across the holonet that the Triumvirate had disavowed the terrorist Jedi and his cell, but it didn't do much to help their cause. The Zeltronian government had received an apology from the Admiral's office that, despite his wishes to smooth things over, he couldn't risk coming with those in the Sith's employ on the planet, in the very resort he would have stayed.

Admiral Thraak. was quick to communicate that the Emperor wasn't _completely_ displeased, despite the breaking of their cover. Part of the reason they had been sent to capture the admiral was to cause relations between the Triumvirate and Zeltros to fall apart. That they had been somehow able to drive Zeltros into the waiting arms of the Empire was an unexpected and pleasurable bonus for Imperial Command.

That said, the loss of whatever information the Empire could have gotten out of the Admiral was a distinct disappointment. The Emperor had only been placated once he heard of that by the fact he would soon be receiving Zeltronian weapons researchers, as well as the knowledge that most of what this Grand Admiral Taas knew was already present on the Drive that Leon and his crew had successfully returned months before. "He is... a fickle man," the Admiral explained over the holocom. She glanced around at each member of the crew. "So, the Emperor has decided that your crew is currently too high profile to be used in any covert operation that he has planned. Zeltros was a popular resort planet for the Triumvirate before all this, and it is likely that they will be watching for you. As such, you will be transferred back to the jurisdiction of your masters until the time when you are granted command posts on the front lines." The woman glanced down at her console. "It appears you have an incoming call from them now. Good luck, and may the Force be with you all."

The holocom fuzzed out for a moment and the woman disappeared, only to be replaced moments later by the forms of Lord Var and Darth Vallen. The Gray Councilor looked around for a short moment, then locked his eyes on Leon. Vallen's glare stuck on him as well, for but a moment, then she began to speak. "I suppose awards are in order for your recent victory," she said, though her voice was not communicating the same congratulatory tone. "Though there is no time for that. We had a secondary team head to Nar Shaddaa while you were on Zeltros. Whatever technology had been present when Revan found himself there was long gone."

Var broke his stare on Leon, who was still staring at the ground. "Though the energy signature of the technology was not," he continued for his partner. "Based on both those scans and the ones from the mining outpost, we've found a number of locations with that same energy signature. We'll be sending you the list shortly."

"You are allowed to make whatever decision you desire about which planet to visit," Vallen said, uncrossing her arms. "Though one signature seems... vastly superior to all of the others. Again, you are still free to choose that set of coordinates, or those of any other planetary coordinates we have sent you."

"We trained you. We obviously trust your judgment," Var completed the thought. He looked over at Leon. "Contact me on your private comm. We need to talk."

And like that, the communicator shut off and the crew was left alone. Leon sighed and finally looked up. "Cade, set our course for the biggest energy signature," he said hoarsely. "If the Forge is at any of these places, it'll be there."

"Aye aye," Cade said with a soft salute. He walked away, passing Marien. Without stopping or even slowing, his voice came out in a low, growling whisper. A command. "Talk to him." And then he walked down the hallway towards the cockpit.

"Artoo, Deranis, they were nice enough to give me the remains of HK-i's personality matrix. Could you work on some design specs for a combat – no, assassination droid?" Leon asked, earning a chirp of agreement from the droid.

The merc shrugged. "I have a few ideas," the Echani said before turning to leave with the droid.

"Leon -"

"I'll be in my quarters for a while. Don't bother me," he said, turning from her and pulling a silver cylinder from within his jacket. A private, inter-system holo communicator. "Var and I... we need to talk."

Mari watched him go, willing to give him his space. She didn't understand why, but Leon's brush with the Dark Side and his fight with the Jedi had done a number on him emotionally. He seemed aimless, and had been avoiding everyone – especially Mari – since the fight. He wasn't comfortable around any of the crew anymore, and she... she just didn't understand it. Now he was speaking alone with his Master..?

An idea ran through the woman's mind, and she ran to the cargo hold to grab what she needed. "What's up?" Deranis asked her, looking up from the workbench he and Artoo were using to help design a chassis for Leon's droid. She didn't answer, instead grabbing a silver cylinder from her locker and running out. Deranis glanced down at the astromech. "What the _kark_ was that about?"

Marien stormed through the door to the women's quarters – really just _her_ quarters ever since Ana's deception had been discovered – and locked it with a twist of her wrist and a quick pull of the Force. Holding the cylinder in front of her body, she slid the top third off and tossed it to the ground in front of her, the motion activating the magnetic locks on the bottom. She slid off another third and tossed the two pieces to the ground to form a triangle on the ground with the first. Mari collected one of the headcushions from the beds and tossed it to the ground before kneeling.

Moments later, the three devices whined and shot out blue light. The streams collided in the center of the triangle and formed a life sized projection of Darth Vallen. She was kneeling as well, light years away in her office on Ruusan. "Feeling left out, Apprentice?" the Sith asked, cocking her head to the side and smiling dryly. She frowned and straightened up when she noticed the worried look on Marien's face. "You are... troubled. And not in the way that the Dark Side may feast upon." The human Sith's eyes narrowed. "Ah... Leon."

Mari bowed her head. "Yes, my master," she murmured before looking back up at the woman. "He had a brush with the Dark Side on Zeltros, and it seems to have shaken him."

At that, the Sith's eyes widened and she glanced to the side. _Then... that is what that feeling was_ , she thought to herself, remembering the shudder of Dark Side energy that had caused most of the Gray Council's darker half to freeze in awe. Vallen's eyes returned to her apprentice's. _And you knew, Var you bastard_. "We are... aware," the Sith Lady stated coolly. She saw how quiet and uncomfortable her apprentice had become. "Does this trouble you?"

"No. It is how he has been acting since that worries me," the Chiss admitted. She shifted from knee to knee. "It's as if the taste of the Dark Side... hurt him. He had been so angry, with this specific Jedi especially. Leon had been torturing him, taking information from his mind. But when it came down to it, he wouldn't kill the Jedi. He froze, he... he's been reserved ever since."

"Who was this Jedi?" Vallen asked after a moment's pause.

SWSWSWSWSW

"Um... Braeden, I think his name was," Leon replied, looking up from where he leaned against the wall. Var was pacing side to side, though it looked as if he were just walking in place on the holocom. Leon returned his glare to the ground. "He was the one from the _Fel,_ Coruscant... and Corellia."

"Did you hate him?" Var asked, stopping suddenly and staring at his apprentice. He growled. "Look at me."

Leon's eyes flew up. He stared at the furrowed, annoyed brow of the Gray Lord. "Just less than Gann," he finally responded, his eyes flashing Sith red for a moment. He froze. Gann. The name hadn't conjured to mind Ana's face, rather –

"So you despised him that much?" Var asked, studying his apprentice's face. Eventually, he sighed. "I was wondering if it was you. A pulse of Dark Side energy so strong that it gave the Sith on the council wet dreams of its power, of finding whoever it was responsible for that energy. You have quite the reserves of pent up anger, Leon."

"I don't know if that's true," Leon finally replied, his voice spent. He glanced up at Var. "I've... I've been seeing Revan."

Var didn't move. It looked like the connection had frozen, at first. "I know," he finally said. Leon grunted in surprise and he moved towards the hologram of his master. Var raised a hand to cut off Leon's question of _how_. "Ana Gann told me. She knew. I believe it's why she followed you."

Leon frowned. "Of course she did," he sighed, letting himself fall to one of the beds. "She was connected to him. She can still feel him, I'm sure."

Var waited for more, but none came. "I -"

"He's been telling me to kill my friends," Leon muttered, cutting of Var. The Gray Lord exhaled slowly, at a loss for words. That... that did not sound like the Revan he had known. True, the man had held a deep, unrestrained anger. Enough that none of the Sith were willing to openly challenge his hold on the title of Dark Lord of the Sith. He had done terrible things, with power unmatched in the Dark Side. He had collapsed suns, dismantled entire ships with the Force, and tortured men and women for days in the pits of Kaas City. But he had been very adamant that to betray the ones closest to him was something he found unthinkable. Grotesque, even, It had happened to him too often for him to consider it a viable course of action.

"Your crew?" Var asked for clarification, and to break the silence of his own thoughts.

"Yeah," Leon muttered, still glaring at the ground.

Var narrowed his eyes. "Is he present now?"

Leon shook his head. "He comes and goes as he pleases. I bet he's listening, at the very least," he explained. The thought sent a jolt down his spine and he looked around nervously. Revan probably _was_ paying attention, even then. "He usually pops up and talks about events I didn't see him at."

"Well, then I suppose this is all going to come out inevitably, isn't it?" Var said with a sigh. He moved to a chair and sat down in it so he could be eye level with his apprentice. "Ana spoke with me shortly after you captured her, as I told you. She claims – She knows who Revan has chosen as his successor."

Leon looked up. "Who? I'm not sure we can trust him if Revan -"

"It's you," the Councilman finally said, wondering how the kid could be so smart and a complete moron at the same time.

SWSWSWSWSW

"Leon?" Mari asked. "Revan chose him to be the next Emperor?"

Vallen nodded slowly. "That is what Ana Gann claims."

"Do you trust her?" Mari said after a moment of hesitation.

"Doron certainly believes her," was Vallen's only reply.

The room grew quiet and the silence seemed to stretch on. Finally: "You remember why I trained you, correct?" Marien let her gaze fall. "Why I insisted that you lose to Leon during the test in the crystal cavern? Why I have said nothing while you and he... foster feelings for one another?"

"I do," came the eventual admission.

"This... is my ultimate victory, Apprentice," Vallen said, staring down on the Chiss girl. "Either you will fulfill all that I have crafted and prove that I am right, that the Force and those within it are indeed what I believe them to be. Or... you will fail and I will die, another Sith who faded into obscurity. The same with you. If _you_ succeed, you will be the ruler of the Galaxy. All worlds will bend knee at the mere mention of your name. If you fail, you will eventually be tossed away. Either you will betray him... or he you."

"But -"

"No. I do not care," Vallen interjected, her eyes like ice. "You do not recognize it now, I understand that. But one way or the other you will. Darth Traya must be in the center of the battle that is betrayal. Your only choice in the matter will be which side of the knife you will be on."

SWSWSWSWSW

Leon frowned and continued to stare at the ground. Emperor. That's what Darth Revan was preparing him for. To rule the galaxy. He wished he could find the whole thing flattering, or take pride in the fact that the former Emperor and Dark Lord of the Sith believed him worthy of it, but given what Revan kept whispering in his ear... He hoped he wasn't capable of any of that. He set his jaw. It wasn't that he wasn't capable of it, it's that he was capable of _not_ doing it.

"Believe what you want, Apprentice," Revan said, sitting on the bed opposite from where Leon jumped to his feet. Revan laughed darkly and interlocked his fingers beneath his chin. "Once you have been betrayed by the Chiss, you won't feel that way."

"She won't betray me," Leon hissed, waving the dead Dark Lord away. "Leave me be."

Revan laughed again, the noise giving Leon the chills. "Betrayal is what her master knows best, Leon," Revan explained, standing just behind Leon's shoulder. "She betrayed her family. Her sister. Her government. And doing so made her _strong_. Kaireinia Horn would not just decide that now betrayal is not in her best interest. Keep in mind, Leon, that both your master and hers are using you for their own gain. You are pawns in their games."

"And you're better?" Leon growled at the Sith, whirling on him and delivering a punch to his mask... that passed through harmlessly. "You just want someone who thinks like you, acts like you... _is_ you on the throne!"

Revan nodded in approval. "We all use each other, Apprentice. When you are outmatched, all you can do is choose by whom you are used. Me, who will grant you inconceivable power? Or the Chiss who will bury a blade in your back?"

"Go. Stop following me," Leon commanded.

Revan sighed in disappointment. "Fine, Apprentice," the Sith said. "Fine. I will come when you call. No earlier. No later. But make no mistake... call you will."

"No. No, I won't," Leon said steadfastly.

Revan snorted as he slowly disappeared. "Oh, you will," Revan said darkly. "As soon as my ship leaves the surface of Ruusan once again, you will beg for me to return. And I will be waiting with bated breath for that moment."

"Shut up!" Leon snapped.

"Are you okay?"

Leon whirled on the source of the voice and froze. "Mari," he said, running his hands down his chest to smooth out his clothes. He blushed – he probably looked... crazy. "Uhm – hi."

"You didn't answer me."

Leon sighed. "I'm... no. But I will be," he muttered. He cast a weak smile at the Chiss and moved toward the hallway. Mari didn't move out of the doorframe, still blocking his path. "What?"

"You've been avoiding me, Leon," she said, shoving him back into the quarters. The door slammed shut behind her as she stepped in after him. "Why?"

"I've just been busy -"

"Poodoo. You've done nothing but cast sad glares everywhere until you see me or the others. Then you bolt somewhere else and repeat the process," Marien snapped. She jabbed a finger into Leon's chest. "Why have you been avoiding me? Was it whatever went down with the Jedi?"

Leon stuttered. "N-no," he said, half-truthfully. He was sure that what he'd seen wasn't actually in the Jedi's mind.

"Leon," Mari growled, advancing on him.

"Fine. I saw... memories," he caved, seeing her determined, angry look. He flopped down on one of the beds. "Of me."

"So?" she asked, placing her prosthetic on her hip and smiling. "Seeing you is actually kind of nice."

"I was on the _Fel_. I murdered Sith soldiers. People I knew."

Mari sighed and sat down next to him. Her hand rested on his knee. "Yeah... well... so?"

"So!?" he snapped, sitting up to glare at her.

"So why are you letting something you did back then bother you now?" she asked calmly. "You can't damn well change it, can you?"

"No," Leon admitted, feelish sheepish. He closed his eyes and fell back to the bed. "But that's not the point."

"Then what is!?" she snapped. She raised her hands beside her head and screamed in exasperation. "You can't just dance around _kriff_ like a damn little kid, Leon. Why are you acting like a scared little youngling?"

"I'm not," he growled.

"Ha!" Mari retorted.

"I'm _not_ ," he growled again, opening one of his eyes to stare at her.

"Yeah, you are," she replied, her eyes catching his.

He was silent for a while. "I don't like it. The Dark Side. Whenever I touch it I... I _liked_ killing those Sith soldiers. I _liked_ attacking you on Coruscant. It makes me... something else. Someone else that I... I don't like."

"It's always that way the first time -"

"This has been going on forever. It seems like it's been as long as I can remember, now!" Leon snapped. He jumped to his feet and ran his hands through his hair, taking a long, uneasy breath. "Since the _Fel_ , since I got... thrust into the center of Galactic events. And it keeps pulling me in easier and easier. That scares me, Mari. I don't like that." He turned to the door and activated it. "I -"

"We're here. And, Leon... wow," Cade's voice came over the intercom. "There's a whole temple here giving off the signal, and it's just waiting for us to come and plunder it."

Leon glanced back at Mari, who was examining him with sad eyes. "On my way," he called, turning from her and walking towards the cockpit.


	32. Approaching Disaster

**AN: Okay, this is the last setup chapter before the action breaks out on Lehon. Some things from the very beginning of the story are about to pay off. I think the last time this character has shown up is chapter 22, so if you want to refresh your memory real quick check back there. Thank you all for reading this story; please leave a review if you like it.**

The Eagle landed on a beach near the ancient temple that Cade had mentioned – and the place where most of the ancient Tech was, if the scanners were calibrated correctly. The idyllic ocean scenery lent a very peaceful air to the entire planet. The sun was shining far above, glistening off of the ocean; Cade had suggested they spend a day at the beach after they did their job. That is, if nothing decided to chase them down to the beach in an attempt to murder them all. The Gray Knight had agreed, wondering if the sun would burn away his memories. It was a hope, at the very least.

Leon stared up at the temple in the distance, arms crossed over his chest. Despite the warm air and the idyllic nature of the planet... something felt wrong. The entire world burned under the oppressive weight of Darkness, seeking to pull out some great evil into the galaxy. The rusted, overgrown remnants of ships dead from a long forgotten war spoke to the hatred permeating the air. Something about it called to Leon specifically, the carnage that littered the surface of the planet. He turned to gaze over the ocean at the shattered remains of an ancient Hammerhead-class warship sticking out from the waters like a wrecked, broken mountain.

"We should get going," Leon muttered, turning away from the ocean. He unclipped his lightsaber from his belt and began walking away from his crew, inactive weapon shuddering in his hand as the memories continued to play through his mind. It had changed as he played it over and over, the blade slowly changing to a lightsaber and the victims changing to his crew one by one. The imagination was often more horrifying than any reality.

"Artoo," he said, stopping and turning around. "Stay with the ship. I doubt that the sand will agree with your wheels." The droid whistled in agreement, though not without voicing his disapproval at being left behind.

Leon walked in silence, for a while. Marien and Deranis were speaking in hushed tones; every so often, Leon would hear his voice float out from between them as they wondered what they could do to ease his nerves. Of all the things they could do, talking to each other about it probably didn't help. Cade, meanwhile, was examining the young man with narrowed eyes. Leon eventually sighed and glanced over at the green eyes burning into the side of his skull. "What do you want, old man?"he growled, tossing an annoyed scowl at the old Jedi.

"The Dark Side is a powerful temptation to resist," the retired hero told the Sith Knight, moving closer so he could walk in step with the younger man. "No one knows the places it can drag you better than I do, kid."

"And this is relevant how?" Leon asked, letting his gaze wander from Cade to keep watch for an attack. The entire planet had him on edge.

"Because you don't want to Fall to the Dark Side," the old man pointed out, his intense gaze naturally drawing Leon's angry glare.

"What, should I be more of a Jedi, then?" Leon snapped. "I don't exactly see you embracing that whole peace and love mantra!"

"Peace and love?" Cade asked. He snorted. "That isn't what being a Jedi is about. Being a Jedi is about resisting inner hate and fear." Cade sighed and stared into the idyllic blue sky. "Though, that's something they'd started to forget about even before they murdered the Fels."

"So the Sith are..."

"In the right?" Cade asked. He shook his head, amused at the idea. "Not in your _kriffing_ dreams, no. But there's a balance that's meant to be maintained."

"So?" Leon asked, wondering what the man was getting at.

"Leon, you're stronger in the Force than anyone alive," Cade said as they neared the summit of the hill. "Let me put it this way, kiddo – You need an insane amount of hypermatter and antimatter to generate the energy required to activate a hyperdrive. The individual pockets aren't homogenous – there's a little more matter or antimatter in every area. But overall, it's a pretty even ratio."

"So you're saying that the galaxy needs the Jedi and the Sith?" Leon responded.

"If they were what they needed to be," Cade said with a shrug. He reached the peak of the hill before Leon and locked his gaze on the front door of the Temple. "Being a Sith is about using rage and emotion. It's more difficult to do it right, to just hate but use it for the right things. Usually it turns you into a power hungry monster. The Jedi are good for the galaxy, if they were what they used to be."

"And me?" Leon asked, realizing that the true Sith excluded him. "If I'm that strong, doesn't that mean someone else as strong as me is out there – the antimatter to my hypermatter?"

"No," Cade grunted. "You're like an entire hyperdrive all your own. I think it would be bad if you ended up on either side of things. I think you were meant to forge your own path – right and wrong, not Light and Dark. I think you'd take it too far on either side."

"Why doesn't everyone?"

"Because, for some of us, there's no difference between the right thing and the Light Side," Cade explained. "Some people can control their emotions; for me, the greater evil would be to let it all out, even if it was to do the right thing. I think you have a chance to be different, though; change the galaxy. For some Sith, to hold anything in would just lead to apathy, to ignoring the wider galaxy in favor of introspection, like so many of the Jedi have."

Leon considered these words for a moment. "But you can think about that later, Commander," Cade said with a sarcastic salute. "We have an ancient, alien temple to plunder."

SWSWSWSWSW

Griffus stared down from the balcony of the Rakatan temple, observing the group of disparate warriors approaching far below through his binoculars. They were too close to fully tell which one was swirling at the true center of the storm that was Revan's mark of power and influence. Though, he could probably safely assume that it wasn't the one carrying a blaster. "Yes, I'm sure," he snapped over his shoulder before staring down at the group again. "A Chiss Sith? Hm, didn't Master Revan talk about a Chiss girl? Oh, what was her name?"

He glanced over his shoulder again. "Oh, yes. Thank you," he muttered, turning back to examine the two at the front of the group "Marien, that _was_ it. Right. Marien. If that Chiss is Marien, it could be her. They were close after all. Or maybe it's this older – " He frowned as he caught sight of the young man leading the group of four. He looked... Griffus narrowed his eyes and swept his gaze over to the ship that they had come to Lehon in. He froze and began to laugh, a giddy, insane noise. "By the Force... It's..."

Griffus dropped his binoculars and turned around; he quickly walked towards the ramp that would lead to where he stood, walking over the years old corpses of aliens murdered by a lightsaber. The storm in the Force, the intense feeling of Revan's energy. It all made sense to him now. The old man was Cade Skywalker and the Chiss woman had to be Marien, the Force too often pulled people into the orbit of those whose destinies were to change the galaxy forever. He had heard rumors that the Skywalker was alive, but they had seemed boundless drivel. And the odds of a Coruscant bound Chiss becoming a Sith? Insanity. But given the fourth member of the crew, the man with the black saber... "I am waiting, Master," the former bodyguard of Darth Revan said, falling to one knee and bowing his head as he waited for the approach of the Sith Knight swirling with the power of Darth Revan.

SWSWSWSWSW

The ancient temple looked like it had been the sight of countless battles, each one contributing to the already powerful Dark Side current running beneath everything on the planet's surface. Leon passed an opening to a balcony on the side of the temple built into a cliff and noticed lightsaber burns and blaster scorches that had destroyed the ancient frescoes and documentations that had littered the walls. Leon wasn't sure why, but he assumed that at least most of these were _very_ old. This dusty interior with the burnt out remains of lightsabers and droids from eons before told everyone present that the temple was completely abandoned.

But the locked, lightsaber resistant blast door told another story. It was electromagnetically locked; if the power of the temple were out, the three incredibly powerful Force wielders in the group could have torn it open. The only logical explanations were that someone was present in the temple, or the builders of the ancient fortress had sealed something away. Seeing as the only direction the crew was incapable of going was up, they assumed it was the former. After all, locking something away on the exposed roof of the building wouldn't be very good for keeping it from be stolen or escaping.

The sub-level of the temple wasn't much better than the main level, with the metallic shards of a grenade embedded in the various walls. Ancient Sith armor, most of it intact and hanging from the few preserved bones of the soldiers who had formerly worn them, littered the ground. Leon bent down to pick up a plain lightsaber, and watched as the power cell sputtered to life for a moment to create a scarlet blade, which quickly died. "Something killed a lot of Sith here," Mari muttered as the red light disappeared.

"Some _one_ ,"Deranis corrected. The group turned towards him quizzically. He sighed. "The _Mando'ade_ have a legend. Apparently, this old Mandalore, he traveled the galaxy in a search for an ancient fortress with a Jedi. It's an old story; about as old as the hammerhead we saw when we were landing. On top of that, some of the etchings in the wall are near copies of the Ordo Clan Banner."

"So a Mandalorian did this?" Marien asked.

Cade laughed. "A half-cocked merc? No," he said. He walked towards the next door, palm raised, and the stone shattered. He closed his fist, panting heavily. That had taken a toll on him. Leon moved forward to help the old Jedi, who waved him off. "If I'm right... Leon, ask the computer."

"What computer?" the young man asked. Cade sighed in annoyance, but pointed through the shattered door towards a terminal in the process of booting up. Cade just gestured for Leon to go ahead.

With a groan, he did.

As Deranis and Marien moved to follow, Cade raised his hand to block their path. "It is only for us to observe," he whispered hoarsely while staring intently at the young man and the computer. "There is something in here that calls to him specifically. Our destinies do not lay through that door, but with the choices he will make in response to today."

"What are you talking about?" Mari asked, anger jolting through her voice. She thought about raising her saber and pushing the old man away, but she stopped herself. Not only was he a friend, but there was something in his eye... he was far too dangerous to be pushed like that.

"The legacies we all uphold are heavy ones... Traya," Cade said, casting a dark glare at the stunned Chiss. "There will come a time when you will have to make a choice whether to uphold that legacy... or tear it down. As will Deranis. As will I. But make no mistake, my time in the galactic spotlight is over. _Our_ time in the galactic spotlight will from here on be in relation to his. What we all do will be because of that young man over there."

Marien, in spite of herself, felt a flare of anger at that. Was the old man insinuating that she was not worthy!? That her power was not great enough to steal away the reins of the galaxy and bend its will in accordance with her own? She was a Sith, and she was a hero. She surely deserved power, unlike – she stopped herself as the two thoughts in her mind clashed, and she understood the words of the last Skywalker. Her mind was warring with itself; betray and take power, or trust that Leon really did care about her. Her master's warning ran through her mind once again – to betray or to be betrayed was the destiny of Darth Traya.

Ignorant of the war within Mari's mind, Leon cautiously approached the beeping terminal. As he grew close, there was a loud whir, and it finished booting. The voice that came from it was robotic, cold... and an alien tongue that Leon recognized, but couldn't remember how. "Non-Slave, non-builder organism. Of kind with the Revan."

"Um – do you mean human?" Leon asked, one eyebrow cocked. Revan, of course! The first Revan had traveled with a future Mandalore on his journeys

"You understand?" the machine asked. It beeped and whirred for a moment. "Parameters updated. Greetings, life form. Why have you come here?"

"You spoke of Revan. How long ago was he present?" the Knight asked, lowering his blade to his die.

"The first two times... approximately 4.3 of your standard millennia ago. The third and fourth times, two of your standard years."

Leon's eyes widened. That means that the late Emperor had also been there. His mind began to rush as he considered what this meant – the Forge, it must have been here at one point. Or perhaps the Emperor had found a way to cloak it here. "When Revan was here last, did he ask you anything about how to disguise the energy signal of your technology?" he asked, dashing forward and placing his hand on the side of the terminal. "We need to know."

"That data has been locked by a prior user," the machine said. "Only a scan of a user who accessed that information before the lock would be able to access this information at this time."

Leon felt his heart fall to his gut. Only Revan could access the information that they needed? Well, that meant this was a dead end. Leon smiled softly. Unless... "Initiate scan," he told the terminal, hoping that one side effect of Revan's ghost hanging around in his mind would be enough to trick the machine.

The terminal beeped for a moment, then, in its mechanical, alien tongue, it began to speak again: "Scan accepted. Welcome, Revan. Correcting present logical flaw... Accessing relevant data... When we last conversed, you inquired about a way to hide the energy signature of the Forge Seed when it was in use."

"I need a refresher," Leon said, excited that Revan's vestiges had been able to trick it. And without even asking for his help. "How do I hide the... Forge Seed's energy signature?"

"Accessing... take your ship to an area of the galaxy with its own intense energy signature. The Forge Seed is a fraction of the Star Forge itself, and can thus feed off of other energy sources. Intense heat works best, such as a solar-mine or a planetoid with intense lava flow across its surface," the machine explained. "By calculations, the Forge Seed should be approximately thirty meters in diameter after this amount of time, if you were using it on your schedule."

Leon frowned. "I haven't," he said. "It's been... out of use for the past year."

"Then approximately ten meters in diameter," the machine responded.

"Good," Leon muttered, turning to leave. "Than -"

"Do you wish for me to open the door to the roof?" the computer asked.

Leon froze. "Why?" he asked.

"One of the individuals you put on your list of accepted Users arrived recently and locked himself up there," the computer replied simply.

"Who? Why?"

"I... can't say. No name was given, data merely matched the scan you gave me," the machine responded. "Do you wish for me to open the door?"

Leon sighed and looked down at the ground. "Yes."

SWSWSWSWSW

Jana slowly steered the shuttle down towards the surface of the planet where she and Torrus had tracked her mentally unstable brother. After blowing up half of a space port during his escape, he had somehow managed to disappear. She'd been unable to track him down at all, even through their natural Force Bond. He had somehow hidden himself from her seeking mind, something she had been surprised a completely broken and insane shell of a man had been able to muster the concentration to do it. But then he had suddenly shown up out of nowhere on a nowhere planet in the middle of the _kriffing_ unknown regions – if the middle of nowhere had a middle, it was there. "Why would he come here?" Torrus asked as he walked into the shuttle's cockpit, his regal voice full of bored disdain.

"If he hadn't basically broadcast his location, I'd say this is the outskirts of the galactic boonies," Jana said. "Revan always said go to ground where no one is, wait out the heat, and show up when and where no one's looking for you. But now... I think he _wants_ us here."

"Again, why here, then?" Torrus growled, annoyed at the sarcastic tone of the young woman sitting at the helm.

"Your guess is as good... as..." she fell silent when she saw that there was another ship on the planet, parked on a beach near the temple where her brother had landed his shuttle. Her breath grew ragged while she remembered rooming with her brother in the freighter, laughing as she demolished Frius at the dejarik table, and learning from Revan with the others in the cargo hold.

"Is that..?" Torrus asked, his eyes locked on the same ship that Jana had stopped the shuttle to gaze at.

"That's Revan's ship," the woman breathed, her voice hollow and distracted. "The _Crimson_ _Eagle_ is on this planet."

Torrus scoffed. "Well, the will of the Force is a cruel and ironic thing, isn't it?" he asked, laughing as he did. The woman could only agree as she stared in terror down at the ship she had once thought of like a home, the owner of which she had helped to murder. "I've always wondered what it would be like to kill a dead man."


	33. The Apprentices

Leon was the first to make it to the top of the temple, doggedly marching up the ramp in deep quiet. Whatever was present at the temple's zenith was calling out to him, pulsating with manic excitement as it did. He didn't know quite what it could be, but he knew that it didn't have to do with the Forge. This was about Revan himself, and that only made the cold anger running through Leon's gut to intensify. It seemed like his entire destiny was being driven into following the footsteps of a dead man, little more than a pawn of Revan's machinations.

"Lord Revan!"

Leon sighed. It appeared his frustrated suspicions had been confirmed. "We're not on speaking terms right now," Leon snapped as he reached the top of the ramp. Alone, bowing on one knee at the top of the temple, was a man wearing a gray and orange flight suit. He looked like he was insane, and not in the eccentric way. Actually insane in the 'tortured for years' way. Leon unclipped his saber from his hip and ignited the blade to level it at the stranger, his crew following suit with their own weapons. "You'll have to leave a message."

"Oh, don't point that at me," the man chastised, standing up. He gestured at the lightsabers strapped to his hips. "I'm not here to hurt you. Not when the power – and favor – of Lord Revan hangs on you. That would be like attacking Master Revan himself!"

Leon narrowed his eyes, not sure if he wanted to consider trusting one who followed Revan so blindly. He would have trusted him blindly as well, once, but too much had been revealed to him. "Is your alliance with Revan meant to calm me?" Leon asked.

"Leon, what are you saying?" Mari hissed from behind him.

He ignored the question. "What do you want with me?"

"To help you, of course!" the insane man said. He glanced over his shoulder. "Yes, he does seem very untrusting. I agree, it is annoying." He turned back to Leon, shaking his head. "You have to learn not to look a gift bantha in the maw. Even the best ones smell kind of weird."

"Did you just... talk to yourself?" Deranis asked. He inched towards Leon. "He's nuts. Let's knock him out, take him to Ruusan."

"Take me to Ruusan?" the crazy man asked. He laughed and began pacing side to side. "Nonononononononononono NO!" The crew flinched back as he snapped this. He stared at Leon for a moment, his eyes searching him. Then: "I was one of Lord Revan's personal bodyguards. Before... well, before my sister and Nernyn killed him, captured and tortured me, and killed my best friend. It was a bad week, all told. Has anyone ever told you that you look just like him?"

"Who?"

"Revan, of course. It's... uncanny," the crazy man said, voice evening out and the dregs of his sanity piecing themselves together for a moment. Then they were gone. "Ah, yes, you're right. I haven't told them who I am yet. I am Griffus, personal bodyguard to the Emper – ah, yes, _late_ Emperor. I didn't do my job quite as well as I'd hoped, as you probably know."

"I'm with Deranis on this one," Marien murmured. "Crazier than a Kowakian Monkey Lizard."

"Should I take exception to that?" Griffus asked over his shoulder. "No? Why? Oh, right. I _am_. But what does that have to do with anything. I'm here to serve Lord Revan, and Lord Revan wants me to help _him_."

"He _is_ standing over here," Leon muttered.

Griffus looked up. "Right. Right! Yes. Sorry. I – "

Leon froze and looked up as all the hair on the back of his neck suddenly stood up. He glanced up into the sky and saw a shuttle in the process of landing not far from the temple. "Ah, yes, that would be my sister," Griffus said. He shrugged. "She and Torrus have been chasing me since my escape -"

"Wait. As in Darth Torrus, the apprentice to the Emperor!?" Mari shouted. She took a step back. "We have to run."

"Why?" Leon asked.

"Torrus isn't known for asking questions. As brutal as the Emperor is, he can figure things out and find out who is on his side when he gets somewhere. Torrus just kills everything," Marien muttered. "No allies to him, just himself and what he needs to kill."

"Yes, Revan never much liked him. Only kept him around to keep the hardliners from revolting," Griffus explained, reaching down to unclip the sabers from his belt. He ignited the weapons, a cyan blade and one in deep scarlet. "Yes, they'll also probably want these. I took them while they were looking for me in a commercial shuttle I blew up!"

"You _what!?_ " Leon snapped. He advanced on the insane former Knight and gripped him by the neck of his flight suit to lift him into the air. "You... you killed all those -"

"Oh, come on!" Griffus shouted. "I had to escape somehow. Don't worry, I blamed it on a radical group with ties to the Triumvirate."

"That doesn't make it better!" Leon snapped, twirling his saber at his side, then stopping once it was pointed at Griffus' throat. "Y-you're insane!"

Griffus opened his mouth to reply, then cocked his head to one side. "Didn't we... already cover this? I only ask because sometimes it's a little difficult to differentiate reality and my hallucinations. They're very vivid, and occasionally mundane enough to be believed." He glanced over his shoulder. "Oh, I'm sure _you're_ real."

"Those were innocent people," Leon snarled, pushing his saber towards Griffus' throat. "You killed _innocent people_!"

"If you keep repeating yourself, you'll start to sound insane," Griffus pointed out, his face suddenly very calm. Gone was the mania, the insanity. There was only this well trained warrior. "Now. Put me down, or the limits of my loyalty to a dead man will be tested." Griffus' eyes narrowed and his lucidity deepened. "Now that you're this close... you don't just look _like_ -"

"You know, if it were anyone else, I'd say do my job for me," a woman's voice called out from behind Leon. "But I want to kill my brother." Leon's eyes widened and he dropped the man, turning wildly to aim his saber at the newcomer. She was holding one hand up, and the crew was writhing and screaming at her feet. Leon narrowed his eyes angrily at the woman, who was dressed in the crimson and black armor of a High Imperial Knight.

"Jana! Short time no see!"

The woman paid no attention to her brother, however. Her gaze was fixed on Leon, her eyes slowly widening as fear lanced down her spine. "That's not..."

"Jana, I wish you'd have let me deal with these dr-" an old man walked up behind the Knight and froze. Darth Torrus scoffed. "Well, well, well. I really do get to kill a dead man!"

Leon pursed his lips, unsure what that meant. "We're Imperial Knights, sent here on a mission by our Masters. We have no interest fighting with you. You can have him, we would just like to ask him a few questions, My Lord." Leon bowed to the old man.

"Is he trying to trick us?" Torrus asked the woman, his voice bored.

"I killed you. How are you..?" was all the woman could manage, her gaze locked still on Leon.

Griffus sighed and put his hand on Leon's shoulder. "They're going to try and kill your friends."

Torrus smiled. "Guilty," he said, raising one hand in mock embarrassment. "Any friend of yours is an enemy of my master, after all."

"We've been blacklisted!?" Leon snapped in worry.

"Blacklisted?" Torrus asked. He scoffed. "Well, you're taking this charade a step or two too far, I think. But if you want to die acting insane, I suppose in the interest of your vast power, I can grant that. What's your name, soon to be corpse?"

Leon furrowed his brow and crouched into a battle stance. They really _were_ going to try and kill him and his friends. Which meant he only had one choice. "Help me save them," he begged the insane Knight at his side.

"Hm?" Griffus mocked.

"Please," Leon begged again. "And you can come with us, find what Revan sent you after. Just help me save them."

"Begging does not become you," Griffus scolded. Then he shrugged and raised his twin blades before him. "But just this once I'll indulge you. After all, I've wanted to kill her for a while, My Lord." And just like that, he was leaping into battle against his sister, leaving Leon to deal with the second most proficient duelist in the Empire.

"I'll give you one chance to surrender," Leon growled as Griffus and Jana began their fight. Leon noted the brother was by far the more proficient duelist, but his body was frail from more than a year of torture. Leon glared again at the old man, who was unclipping his saber from his hip.

Torrus was wearing a formal tunic that hid its thin layers of armor well. Leather padding was present beneath his clothes for defense against collisions, and metallic bracers clapped around his wrists. There was a brown caplet over his left shoulder. He turned to angle his right arm towards Leon and activated the saber. The red blade flared to life and the Sith Lord smirked at the much younger warrior. "I see how you were killed. Only a fool would offer his enemies a chance to survive."

Leon narrowed his eyes and dashed forward, hoping that he would be okay, at least until Mari and the others recovered. He brought his blade around to slash at Torrus' throat, the attack easily being blocked by the Sith Lord. "Oh, tsk, please don't disappoint me," Torrus said. "I've been hoping to fight against your trademark dueling style, and thought I lost my chance when you died! Give me your all, so I may know I am the greatest duelist ever born!"

"Good luck with that," Leon growled, trying to push the saber lock into the Makashi wielder to end the fight. Torrus merely rolled his eyes and flicked his arm up, disengaging the saber lock and sending Leon back a few steps. "Who do you think I am?"

"Don't patronize me," Torrus growled, his yellow eyes flaring in rage. He dashed towards Leon, faster than Leon could see. He blindly lashed out with the Force, causing the Sith Lord and his attack to fly past him. Leon felt an object collide with his leg as the man dashed past, however, and Torrus' outstretched leg caused Leon to flip where he stood. With a bit of concentration, he guided himself to his feet and instinctively brought his weapon up to block the downward slash coming from behind him. "There it is. The instinct, the speed. Try to keep using that so you don't disappoint me."

Leon scoffed and spun, sticking out his leg to trip Torrus as he did. The Sith Lord merely jumped away from the attack and landed lightly a few paces away. "My name is Leon Reht. I work for the Empire! We are _allies!"_

"I have to say, I am no longer amused by this," Torrus growled, angling his saber at Leon once again. "We have spoken enough. Your death is all that you have left to give me."

"I am _not_ the one here who is going to die!" Leon yelled. He ran towards Torrus and began slashing with collected rage at the old man's head, each attack missing the duelist by miles. Leon snarled and continued his assault, moving into unpredictable non-patterns and telepathically slowing his enemy. But it was no use; his skills – unusual as they were – remained no match for the Sith Lord. "I will never let you hurt my friends!"

"You are stuck in your ways," Torrus snapped, deflecting the last attack and elbowing Leon in the chest. He stumbled backwards and was backhanded to the ground. "You must not remember who you are. I'm disappointed. I had hoped to duel with you at the zenith of your power. To show I am truly your better, just as my master is. Instead I must deal with a child who knows nothing."

"What?" Leon growled, pushing himself slowly to his feet. "For the last _karking_ time, what the _kriff_ are you talking about!?"

Torrus snarled and shook his head. "Continuing the charade even in the face of death," the Sith Lord sighed. "I suppose I should have expected that."

"And you should have remembered, my friend here isn't alone," Cade said, appearing behind the Sith Lord and burying his green blade in the man's heart. The old Jedi took a step back, pulling his lightsaber out of the Sith Lord's chest before bringing it around to decapitate him. Cade frowned at the body as it fell to the ground, then moved his gaze to Leon. He remained quiet for a moment. Finally: "Your new friend needs our help." He turned and dashed towards the place where Griffus and Jana were dueling.

"Ah, it would appear your bodyguards are better than I ever was," Griffus said as Leon and Cade approached. He deflected a blow from his sister, the force of it rattling his arm and sending him stumbling. "That's good."

"You can't beat us all," Leon yelled, leveling his weapon at Jana.

"No?" she asked. She laughed and raised her hands before her. "But you can defeat each other."

"What's that supposed to -" Leon felt a chill run down his spine and threw himself backwards, narrowly dodging Cade's green lightsaber blade. "Cade, what the _kark?!_ "

"Krayt, you tried to kill my friends. My _family!_ You aren't getting away this time!" he roared before bringing his blade to bear against Leon again. "I'll kill you!"

"Cade, snap out of it!" Leon shouted, raising his weapon defensively and getting thrown back from the sheer force of the incoming blows. "Cade!"

"Now, we both know he won't last long. Not in his current state," Jana told her brother as she fended off his attacks, the two evenly matched in skill. "Which means you can choose – _again_ – between Revan and your sister."

"Oh, we both know you betrayed him because you were bitter," Griffus retorted. He dashed forward, slashing his blades in front of him in an 'X' that caught Jana's weapon between the edges. "You didn't follow him because of duty – you were just a love sick gizka. And he looked down on that. Remember, dear Sister, it was you who betrayed us. Don't try to twist things."

"You're feeling lucid today? Where was this when I wanted to talk with you!?" Jana responded. She lashed out with her leg, catching Griffus in the chest. He stumbled backwards, but quickly recovered and blocked her two handed slash. "Tell me everything you know about Revan's plans!"

"You interrupted the planning session, actually. I know about as much as you do," Griffus snapped. He jumped away from his sister and glanced over at Leon and Cade. The younger man wouldn't last much longer against the Krayt-Slayer.

"You can't kill me, because you have to save him. And you can't let me go, because you hate me," Jana explained, taunting her brother with a sick grin. "Face it – you lose."

Griffus stared at his sister with hate filled eyes. He did lose. It dawned on him. He came here to lose. To drive the plan forward – it was his master's will. Who was he to defy it? "I do lose," Griffus admitted with a grin. He advanced on his sister and made a few feinting slashes, which she easily saw through and rushed forward with her own blade. The weapon ran through the chest of her brother, its blue light erupting from his back. She grinned at her victory – a grin that soon died as she felt a burning cold spread throughout her chest. She looked down at the two lightsaber blades that erupted from her chest, then back up at her brother. His hands were behind her back, holding the lightsabers that he had stabbed her with. "But so do you."

And they both fell to the ground, her dead and him dying. "I finally saved your life..." Griffus said as his eyes locked on Leon, who was staring warily at the confused Cade Skywalker. "Lord Revan."

SWSWSWSWSW

Darth Nernyn sighed as he felt the death of his apprentice from across the stars. "Torrus, you old, useless fool," he groaned, his prosthetics hissing as he did. He focused on the echo of death and followed it, feeling for those who were present. He stopped and opened his eyes after a mere moment, his consciousness flooding back from the other end of the galaxy. "Ah, but you served your purpose. Griffus is dead, you are dead, and Jana is dead. The only three who knew of my betrayal for certain. And you confirmed my suspicions. You deserve congratulations."

Nernyn drummed his fingers on his leg and grinned. He pressed the button on his comm after a few moments. "Set course for Ruusan," he commanded before cutting the line. The ship whirred and hummed around him for a moment before the characteristic, stomach-churning alterations of gravity that came with hyperspace travel suddenly hit him. He ignored them. "I knew you weren't dead the moment I saw you with Ana... Master."


	34. Hidden Identities

Leon stared down the exit ramp of the Eagle, a ball of fear growing in his gut. They had killed – _killed_ the Emperor's apprentice. That tended to not leave one in the Emperor's good graces. Even worse, they had been greeted and led to the academy by a small fleet of starfighters from the flagship of the Emperor's Warfleet. "What do you want to do?" Cade asked from beside him. Leon turned to look at the man. Cade was taken aback by the sheer amount of doubt and worry in the younger man's eyes. Gone was the sure but not overconfident Imperial Knight. In that man's stead was a man who could feel the echoes of the future rushing towards him, drowning him in their doom. Cade pitied the man and understood his pain. To be an agent of the Force's Will was not an easy life, and it only cast unease onto those whom it had fated to guide the destiny of a galaxy. But while he understood the pain, he also knew that the boy needed to continue onward regardless. Destiny would not pause, even for a ghost. "Leon, snap out of it. What do you want us to do?"

"We'll follow you anywhere," Mari said from Leon's other side. She smiled and grabbed his hand with her own. Leon smiled at her, the sudden pressure easing the knot in his stomach to the point where he could breathe again. "Even if you're stupid enough to say we're going to have to fight the Emperor and everyone else in this academy by ourselves. You haven't led us wrong so far."

"Barring some hiccups," Leon protested jokingly. He squeezed Mari's hand back and smiled at her. He nodded. "Okay. Deranis, keep the Eagle prepped for flight. Artoo, access the local holonet for control of the station. I absolutely hate to say this, given how badly it always ends, but..."

"Don't worry, I'll take this one," Deranis stated. He turned to walk back into the ship. "I've got a _bad_ feeling about this."

Leon nodded solemnly, then nodded for the astromech to follow the Echani. "Cade... I need you to stay close to the Hangar bay. You're the best option to guard Deranis and Artoo, but you need to be seen. You're pretty well known, and the rumors that you are who you are... well, they're pretty widespread at this point," Leon ordered, shaking his head.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Cade cut in, knowing what was coming. Leon would need protection when everything came to a head. "The Emperor sent a guard for you. He wants to meet with you."

"All the more reason for someone as strong as you to survive. You might be needed to bring balance again, Cade," Leon retorted. He shook his head. "This is my decision, you already said. I have a gut feeling that only the two of us need to be there."

Cade sighed. He didn't like it, but gut feelings for Force Users usually meant more than a simple guess. "Fine. I'll stay here." He placed his index finger in Leon's face and shook it. "But you call me if you somehow wind up crossing lightsabers with an Emperor. Deal?"

Leon shook his head. "Someone needs to make it out of this. I don't know if that's going to be me, Cade," he explained. He placed his free hand on Cade's shoulder. "Please."

" _I_ will," Mari cut in. She placed her hand out to Cade and he shook it, smiling thankfully as he did. Leon shook his head, disappointed with the old Jedi for not listening.

"May the Force be with you both," Cade said firmly. Leon and Mari nodded and walked out of the ship together, hands still clasped. As they reached the bottom of the ramp, soldiers marched up from beyond Cade's field of vision and grasped both Sith Imperial warriors by the arms. They were tugged forcefully apart, but they didn't say anything about it. Cade shook his head and sighed. Low enough that no one could hear, he muttered something to himself. "Force knows you need it, Theron."

Leon was meanwhile not amused by the escort being forced down his throat as he walked through the halls of the Ruusan Academy. The weight of this new authority was grinding against him and impressing more worry on his already anxious mind. He didn't know what was going to happen, though he was sure that it would not be good. "It's going to be okay," Mari lied from within the other group of soldiers. They shoved her to the side and she disappeared from Leon's field of vision. He fought down a ball of rage at this; it wouldn't be good to fly into a bloodthirsty rage for no reason.

"Any idea what they want with us?" Leon asked the guard nearest him.

"Shut up," the guard growled.

Leon sighed and decided to instead examine the hallway walls. The path so far had been eerily familiar to him. After a few more turns, he realized why. The guards were leading them to a place he _really_ didn't want to go. "Why are you taking us to Ana's prison cell?" he asked. He didn't get a response. "Hey, tell me."

"The Emperor requests your presence," the soldier responded from behind his helmet.

"This doesn't _feel_ like a request," Mari muttered from the other pod of soldiers. They didn't respond, yet again, and the march continued on in uncomfortable silence. The boots of the squad clacked against the ground as they forced the two Knights onward.

Growing tired of the lonely silence, Leon reached out with the Force. His mind snaked across the hall and jumped to the similarly seeking tendrils of the Chiss woman's mind. There was a mental flash as their thoughts brushed against each other, then it quickly gave way to the silent connection of their minds. There were no words or communication, merely the knowledge that they were there for one another. It was calming for the two of them, but there was little they could do to actually coordinate. They could merely wait for whatever was coming.

When they finally reached the prison cells, the wall of soldiers between them parted and surrounded the two and the entrance. "Enter," one of the soldiers commanded before leveling a blaster rifle at the two. Leon narrowed his eyes and placed his hands on his hips, a move that caused the rest of the soldiers to raise their blasters. He let his hands drop, understanding that they were clearly not just being detained... they were being treated as a threat.

Leon nodded, then opened the door and walked into the cell room. The light was dim, casting deep shadows on those already occupying the room. Leon glanced over at Var and Vallen first. The two were whispering to each other, hiding their mouths with their hands as they did. Leon knew why before looking, though he did anyways. Leon turned in the other direction, where Darth Nernyn was glowering out from beneath his cloak. He was standing directly next to Ana's cell, where the Jedi was glaring out at the five of them with worried eyes. When she saw Leon, her frown deepened.

"Finally. The guest of honor," Nernyn said, gesturing at Leon. The Knight narrowed his eyes at the Emperor and took his place beside Var. His hand drifted to his lightsaber, causing the Emperor to laugh. "Oh, there will be time for that. Don't worry."

Leon unclipped the saber and left it deactivated. "What is the problem, Emperor Nernyn?" he asked. Mari took her place beside Vallen and also drew her lightsaber. "The goon squad didn't exactly tell us."

"Oh, don't worry. That's what we're here to talk about," he said. He raised his hand and waved it. The cell beside him shut off and he grabbed Ana by the hair. She yelped in pain and clutched at the robotic fist atop her head. "Follow me." Then he dragged the Jedi from the room. Leon glanced over at Mari, who shrugged, then followed.

"What's the plan here?" Leon asked his master behind him.

"Unfortunately, I have no plan here," he responded with a low growl as they were led away, towards the hangar bays. "We don't know what he wants, completely. If it comes down to it, you must survive. If he gives you the option... betray me."

"Not on your life," Leon growled over his shoulder. They passed where the Eagle was; Leon caught a glimpse of Cade hiding behind a corner, glaring right at him. The Jedi looked infuriated, but Leon shook his head. He returned his attention to Var. "We're together in this."

"If you do not betray me, I will be sorely disappointed," Vallen told her apprentice.

"All respect, Master? Shut up," the Chiss growled. "We have bigger Bantha to fry."

Finally, the Emperor stopped and opened one of the hangars. He gestured for the others to enter before him. Leon didn't move. "Go," the Emperor growled, yanking up on Ana's hair so she yelped again. Leon raised a confused eyebrow, but did as the Emperor requested before his attention was turned on them.

Then the Emperor followed him in. "I had hoped you died that day," he said, tossing Ana away before turning to glare at Leon. He unclipped his saber and held it out to his side, inactive.

"First Torrus, now you?" Leon asked. He scoffed. "What is it you want?"

"Don't play dumb with me," Nernyn suggested calmly. "I recognized you the moment I saw you."

"Well, I was a member of your Special Forces," Leon suggested. He shook his head and gestured at the Sith Lord. "I think that's normal, don't you?"

"Then you accrued all of these... people. Your people. The child of Mandalore, the girl from our childhood, your lover, and your last surviving relative. You were planning to kill me," the Emperor continued, ignoring Leon's confused statement. "Though, turnabout _is_ fair play, I suppose."

"Don't try to kill me," Leon threatened. He raised his weapon before him and the black blade thrummed to life. Behind him, Marien's weapon flashed to life, followed quickly by the blades of the Councilors. Nernyn laughed mockingly at the gesture and reached into his cloak, taking out two silver cylinders. He tossed the weapons behind him and they clattered to a stop in front of the kneeling, pained Ana Gann. She glared at the Sith Lord for a moment, then scrabbled to grab her weapons. They hummed as they were ignited for the first time in months. "Or it _will_ become fair play."

"Oh, there it is. You've stopped hiding in your... meek and powerless shell, Revan," Nernyn said as he raised his hands to point at Leon. The Knight lowered his blade in a burst of speed, prepared for the inevitable Force Lightning. No such attack came. Instead the Sith Lord began laughing as his hands drifted up further, bending until they clutched the edges of his hood. "Now, just as you tore my mind and body to pieces. So too will I destroy yours." Then the Sith Lord's hood was slowly pulled down. When he saw the lack of recognition on his face, he scoffed. "You _don't_ remember? You really don't, do you?"

"No," Ana whispered as the Emperor's hood fell. Nernyn turned to her, the shattered Twi'lek's yellow eyes glinting with cruel pleasure. His _lekku_ were highly damaged, with highly advanced mechanical substitutes fused to the burnt stumps. Ana began to breathe heavily, hyperventilating at what she saw. Leon, though, was confused. He looked disgusting, but that was par for the course when it came to the most Fallen Sith. Ana's voice became a scream. "No, that's not possible! I saw you die! I saw _him_ " – her lightsaber pointed at Leon, whose confusion was only deepening – "kill you."

"Would someone like to explain?" Var asked, cutting off the screams of his former apprentice. "What's going on before you try and kill us?"

Nernyn nodded. "Of course," he said, turning to the Grey Councilor. "Everyone deserved a last request. Something _he -_ " his head nodded in Leon's direction – "denied me."

The Emperor stepped forward slowly, glaring directly into Leon's eyes. The Knight took a slow step backwards, trying to leave some distance between them. The Emperor stopped and grinned when this happened. He turned to glare at Ana. "I'm sure you will corroborate my story, Ana."

"Rhen..."

The Sith Lord's eyes glowed dangerously, and a spark of Lightning ran between his fingers. "Do not call me that," he threatened, voice low and dangerous. He shook his head. "Though I will claim vengeance for his death soon enough. On all of you." He turned back to Leon, snarling.

"Rhen... Vao?" Leon asked, eyes widening. "You traveled with R-"

"You. I traveled with _you_ , because you _are_ Revan," Nernyn spat, raising his hand and unleashing the energy in his palm. Leon cried out as his saber deactivated and he was thrown into the wall. "You betrayed me, us. You tore my body apart and threw whatever you could back together to create a slave, a reminder of who you used to be that you could keep close so you don't hate yourself."

Leon struggled to his feet. "You... what do you mean?" Leon asked, clutching at his side. He reached out towards his lightsaber and summoned it back to his hand. "Revan is dead."

"Ana," Nernyn gestured at the Jedi to speak the truth.

"You're Revan," she said after a long pause. Leon frowned, brow furrowing.

"W-what are you talking about?" Mari asked. Ana was silent. " _Karking_ tell us!"

"He's Revan. I did the blood test on Coruscant when he was still unconscious," Ana admitted. She shook her head then looked at Leon. "I'm sorry, really. You... Leon Reht never existed. Someone made him up."

"Yes, perhaps you are one of the clones my master attempted to create," Nernyn said, sneering down at the Knight. "Inserted into the military so that his impending death would no longer matter. Or perhaps you are the _real_ Revan. When Ana took your body, perhaps you weren't completely dead. Maybe they cloned you, maybe they wiped your memory and started from scratch just like with your ancestor. Or maybe I never killed you, you just hid. Very, very well. Wiping your own memory, destroying your own history because of how much you hated yourself. I don't know. I don't care."

Leon took a nervous, shaky breath. "I can't be Revan. Those memories are _real_. My father... he was at the... he was at the commendation ceremonies. He died. He was real!" Leon snapped. He ignited his lightsaber and ran towards the Sith Lord, swinging wildly. Nernyn laughed and sidestepped the attack like it was from a child's weapon. "I can't be... _him_."

"You can't be the man who destroyed the Miraluka colony?" the shadow of Rhen Vao asked, turning around Leon's next attack and slamming his elbow into the young man's temple. Leon stumbled away and grunted when the Sith Lord's leg slammed into his gut. "You can't be the man who did _this_ to me? Well you are! You're the reason that all of this is happening! Every death in the war, every child now fatherless. That's you."

Leon stared up as Nernyn ignited one side of his lightsaber. "But don't worry. I intend to return the favor," he snarled down at his former master.

"Get away from him, you traitor!" Var snarled. Leon watched as a gray blur slammed into Nernyn's side and threw the Sith Lord across the hangar. Var stood in his place, gray lightsaber raised in front of him. He took a single step to the side, placing himself between Leon and the Emperor. He glanced down at Leon, eyes glowing with yellow hate. "I'll protect you, My Lord." Then the now Fallen councilor turned away and stalked violently towards Nernyn. Vallen soon stood at her colleague's side, her own weapon drawn and glowing red.

Leon's gaze turned from them to catch Mari's, searching for help. For stability. To be seen as Leon Reht. Instead, her eyes communicated that she now saw him differently as well. Those stories she had told about Revan – Theron saving her life, becoming her friend. Each one was worn on her face at that moment. Leon knew, right then, that it was true. There was no way around it. He had never really existed as more than a lie. A cover for a dead man to continue his crusades. He silently cursed Revan, the shade of who he had been that still lived in his mind, and forced himself to his feet.

He turned from Mari just as she raised her hand and called Cade with her communicator. Leon quivered in shock and forced himself to reignite his lightsaber. If this was to be a duel to the death, then he could no longer lose. After all... he had never even been born. Then he rushed towards the ongoing fight, where Nernyn was lazily holding off the attacks of Darth Vallen, Ana Gann, and Doron Var, their old hatreds and betrayals forgotten in the interest of prolonging their own lives.

Cade watched from just outside of the hangar, unconscious and dead Sith soldiers littering the ground around him. His eyes were fixed on Leon as he stalked towards his former self's apprentice. He deactivated his lightsaber and raised his communicator. "Artoo, get us an opening off planet. We'll be on ship in thirty minutes at most. Be prepared for less, just in case. Deranis, we'll need to leave in a couple seconds as soon as we get there. Be ready." He cut the line before they could respond and returned his attention to the battle. He took a deep breath, and entered the hangar, lightsaber igniting at his side. "I'm sorry, Shado. I didn't protect him, and I can't save him. But maybe I'll be able to save someone who can."


	35. Innocence Lost

Leon ran towards the battle, roaring in rage as he raised his saber above his head. He slashed down as he neared Nernyn, who was busy dueling with four other lightsaber wielding warriors. The Emperor's movements were effortless, as if even this was just a nuisance to him. When Leon's saber came down to kill him, he merely sidestepped it and knocked Leon's saber into the oncoming attacks of the other combatants. "You've gotten sloppy, Revan," the Emperor snarled, flipping away from the battle and unleashing a torrent of Sith lightning. The united warriors barely raised their weapons in time to survive the incoming wave of death, the resulting imbalance of energy forcing them all to slide backwards until the Emperor ceased the attack.

Leon growled, still torn between denying what all around him claimed and desiring rage from the depths of his soul. The vengeance won out. "I'm going to rip you to shreds!" he screamed, using the Force to appear next to the Sith Lord in a flash. Their sabers flashed as their magnetic fields broke and the plasma mixed. "I'm going to destroy you, _Schutta!_ "

"I wish you remembered everything," the pale, twisted Twi'lek responded, shooting a sharp toothed and cruel grin at the Knight. He flicked his wrist and sent Leon stumbling backwards. The young man barely raised his weapon in time to deflect the incoming counterattack. "It would make my vengeance all the more satisfying. I have to admit, I was sad that I didn't get to kill you in person the first time. I intend to ensure I have no regrets the second time around."

Leon didn't respond, instead shouting in rage again and unleashing a flurry of fast, unpredictable attacks at the Emperor. The black blade moved about like lightning as the other duelists joined him and tried to distract the Emperor long enough for at least one of their blades to catch him. However, every attack was parried at the last moment by the still smirking Twi'lek. "And you!" the Emperor shouted, flicking his wrist and releasing a powerful wave of the Force. Those surrounding him flew away as he ducked beneath the attack from behind. He raised his weapon and blocked Cade Skywalker's assault. "Cade Skywalker. Choosing family over friends, even if he's blown up planets."

"Okay. Auresh: so have you. Besh... he's like, four or five times removed," the old Jedi joked, turning into an even faster attack that even the Sith Emperor seemed to have trouble deflecting. "Cresh: I wouldn't quite say he's Revan, would you?"

"No, I suppose not," the Emperor replied, ducking the next attack and spinning away. There was a sharp _snap-hiss_ as a second crimson blade erupted from the other end of his lightsaber. He pressed his assault on Cade, the elder Jedi easily keeping up with every movement. Leon stopped running towards them and just gazed on in awe. He was sure he'd only get in the way if he tried to help. On the other hand, he was still enraged beyond control, so he joined in anyways.

Leon snarled to himself and poured energy into his legs, leaping at the Emperor and bringing his attack crashing into the secondary blade of his enemy's saber. "You seem tense," the Emperor noted, sneering as he shoved both Cade and Leon to their knees. He shoved them back with the Force then delivered a flourishing slash aimed at the two men's necks. "I believe you hold your stress in your neck, so how about I help you get rid of it."

"Ok, creepy," Leon remarked, rolling forward and slashing at the Sith Lord's legs. The Emperor lightly jumped over the attack while catching Cade's incoming blade on a storm of Force energy in his left hand. Leon rolled to his feet behind the Emperor and aimed his saber like a rapier at the Sith's dangling _lekku._ "And, sure you can help. By dying." The black energy flashed forward, the white sparks in the trail creating an image of a night sky. The Emperor laughed and deactivated his secondary blade, parrying each blow as he held Cade still with his off hand.

"Even united, the six of you cannot defeat me," the Emperor said, spinning his blade around Leon's and sending the black lightsaber soaring from the young Knight's hands. He brought the blade up to hover just below Leon's chin, smirking as the deactivated saber clattered uselessly against the hangar floor. His gaze drifted slightly towards Cade. "Though that may be because you keep holding back."

"I've already killed one Sith Emperor. It's some else's turn, Rhen," Cade said solemnly, his gaze locked with the young Twi'lek's.

In response, the Sith's eyes widened in rage. "Don't call me that," he warned darkly, turning the energy of his green saber back on the Jedi. Cade was too quick, however, somehow moving out of the attack's path. "No one call me that!" He dropped his blade from Leon's throat and rushed the old Jedi.

"Why are you just standing there?!" Cade snapped at the Knight as he deflected a wild strike.

Leon flinched back to reality, noticing that his hand was at his throat, clamped over the place where the lightsaber had been just moments before. He held his hand out and pulled his weapon back to his hand. "Leon!" Mari shouted, coming up beside him. "Leon we don't have a chance if Cade won't go all out."

"I know," Leon muttered, reigniting his blade. He couldn't help against the Emperor, and he couldn't do anything to convince Cade to fight either. He looked up as the yellow eyed Var and Vallen came to his side. He sighed, brokenly, while they stared at him. They expected him to make decisions. Fifteen minutes since the Emperor claimed Leon was Revan, and it was already like Leon didn't exist. "I have an idea." He raised comms. "Deranis, the ship ready to go?"

"Yes and... no."

"No?"

"Well, we can fly... and get shot out of the sky as soon as we do," he responded. "The blockade's shut. The Eagle's fast, but... well, I doubt its designed to be the target of millions of turbolasers at any given moment."

"That won't be a problem," Vallen cut in. She looked over at Leon. "Lord Revan, the Emperor's personal hangar will have a stand down signal installed in his shuttle, if memory serves. I can activate it from there. Even if he deactivates it, if you leave in the next half hour you should be able to escape through the gap."

"Why would he even have that?"

"Can we focus on why she just called you 'Revan?'" Deranis shouted. Artoo whistled behind him. "What do you mean Leon's Revan?"

"You knew!? No – we'll talk about this later!" Leon snapped. "Are the blaster cannons operational on the Eagle?"

"Why wouldn't they be?" Deranis asked, confused.

"The Eagle is the next hangar over," Mari muttered, Leon's plan dawning on her.

"Exactly. Fire them at the... east wall in t-" There was a loud explosion that drowned out the rest of Leon's command. There was a brand new, gaping hole in the wall with the Crimson Eagle laying just beyond it. The cannons smoked as they released all their excess heat. "Oh, _karking_ great! I was about to say 'in ten minutes.' Now -"

"It doesn't matter," Var growled. He gestured at Vallen. "Go activate the stand down signal." He turned to Leon and Mari. "We're not making it out of this, so take your crew, Lord Revan, and escape. Recover your power and find the Forge. Then you can claim all of our revenge."

"You're all just taking this on faith?" Leon asked. "W-what if she was lying? Or wrong!? What if I'm not Revan?"

"The Emperor believes you to be, which is enough for now," his master responded. The old man's eyes softened and he placed a hand on Leon's shoulder. "Go."

Leon opened his mouth to protest, then his voice caught when he saw the pleading in his master's eyes. "It – I wish it didn't have to be this way," Leon muttered.

"Keep him safe," Var told Marien.

"Of course," she said quietly. She grabbed Leon's wrist and ran towards the Eagle as Var sprinted towards Nernyn, a distraction. Mari raised her comm to her mouth. "Cade, we're leaving."

"I kinda got that, lady!" the old Jedi retorted from across the room, handsprining out of the path of a wall of Force Lightning towards the Eagle. "It's literally as obvious as a gaping hole in the wall."

"Okay, the blockade is starting to drift apart. Who the hell designed these codes, a Mandalorian initiate?" Deranis asked, mocking half of his own family.

"Someone who constantly worries he's going to be betrayed, actually," Cade said as he caught up with Leon and Mari. "Krayt had the same thing. Also, wow, Var is badass."

"Where do you think I got all of my skills?" Ana asked, running beside the old Jedi.

"Oh, _kriff_ no!" Leon shouted.

"Hey, you're going to want all of the allies you can get," the redhead retorted.

"I don't think you quite qualify," Mari remarked.

"Oh, stuff it you Chiss -"

"Can we not right now!" Cade snapped. He gestured behind them at the battle that Var was losing, despite his best efforts. "She's one of the people _not_ trying to kill us, and that's an ally in my book."

"Fi –" Leon stumbled and fell to his knees just as Var cried out in pain. He clutched at his chest, a searing cold line of pain erupting. "AGH!" He screamed as the pain suddenly overcame him, the connection with his master dying with the old man.

"Leon!" Mari gasped.

"Theron!" Ana said worriedly.

"My name is Leon," the Knight snapped at the Jedi, driving the pain off with his rage. He stumbled to his feet and began to limp towards the ship.

"Don't worry about getting it wrong, Ana. He's about to die, either way," a voice behind them said. Leon fell to his knees once more, now clutching at his throat as an iron fist tried to clench the life from him. The Emperor walked towards him, ignoring the other three who backed away slowly. With a smooth movement of his hand, he raised Leon a few feet from the floor. "Leon F. Reht. Theron Fel. I always hated anagrams."

"You're _just_ noticing that?" Cade asked mockingly. He laughed at the broken Twi'lek. "It took me, what, two seconds?"

The Emperor ignored him. "Please, beg for your life. It will make this _so_ much better."

"Sorry, your Grace, but I don't think so," Mari snapped, her saber finding itself buried hilt deep into the Emperor's side. The cyborg roared in pain and Leon's vision began to tunnel as he hit the floor. There was a massive blast of Force energy, and the world went black.

SWSWSWSWSW

He awoke in the medbay of the Eagle with a singular thought – _I really get knocked out in fights_ _ **a lot**_ **.** He clutched his head, grimacing at the dull ache running through it. "Good, you're awake," Cade noted. Leon's head snapped up at the old Jedi, who was leaning against the door frame. He looked incredibly dour.

"Var and Vallen didn't make it," Leon stated, throwing his feet off of the bed.

"No. But that wasn't a question, then was it," Cade noted. He pushed off of the door frame and frowned. "But... it is worse than that."

"What do you mean?" Leon asked. Cade's face fell, and Leon felt deeper worry. "Cade, what the _kark_ happened?"

"Um... why don't you come out and talk with Ana and me first. You'll want to ask other uestions before we get to the bad news," the old man explained sadly. He turned and left the medbay without another word, leaving the confused and worried Imperial Knight – _Former_ , Leon reminded himself with a growl. – behind. After a few seconds, he stood up and followed while forcing himself to forget his worried questions for a moment.

Cade, Artoo, and Ana Gann were waiting for the young man around the holochess table, neither able to meet his gaze. Leon just stared both the organics down for a while, trying to feel anything but the hollow pain in his gut. Finally, he could bear the quiet no longer. "Where are we heading?"

"Coruscant," Ana said.

"It's the only place that will take us, seeing as we're already likely labeled traitors," Leon remarked. He sighed sadly. Is this what his life had come to? An alliance with the Triumvirate? "I think I'm learning to hate irony. Okay, Coruscant it is."

"Don't you have any questions about -"

"Not for you," Leon said hoarsely, shooting an angry glare at the old Jedi. "Just... not from any of you. I do want to know what you both want from me?"

"Exiting the stage of denial, I see," Cade noted.

"Answer the damn question," Leon snapped.

Cade frowned but nodded. "The Force surrounds you like no other. Theron, I've already seen what one of our family – what a Skywalker can do if they Fall. And I followed the Holonet, so I know what _you_ can do if you Fall. I knew I found you because the Force didn't want that anymore. You're meant for more than just being a mindless Sith."

"You came along to force me to make the choice you wanted."

"To keep things in perspective for you," Cade countered.

"Whatever," Leon muttered. He put his hands in his pockets. "Where's Mari? I need to talk to her."

The room grew cold as ice, and Leon laughed nihilistically to hold in his pain. "So that's the bad news? She's dead?" he asked, his voice on the verge of breaking. But he held strong, despite his shaking knees.

"Taken prisoner," Cade said.

"So tortured _then_ dead," Leon snapped. "How could you let that happen!?"

"I -"

"It was you wasn't it?" Leon cut in, whirling on Ana. "You hated that she was with the man you loved. The man you -"

"Leon!"

"So you only cared about me because you thought I'm Revan?" Leon snapped. He opened his mouth to say more, but stopped, wondering if he'd regret it. Finally deciding he would, Leon turned from the two, letting his cloak-like jacket whirl around him in a flourish, and marched off. "Wake me when we get to Coruscant." Leon ignored the next few calls for him to listen, but they died off after a few moments. He needed to be alone, or at least as alone as he could be.

Leon entered the living quarters and locked the blast door shut behind him. He slowly slid down the door, clutching his face and trying to hold in his tears. He didn't want to do this. That would mean that _he_ was right about everything so far, that _he_ hadn't been lying about the future. Revan had claimed that Leon would call for his aid after leaving Ruusan, just as he had claimed Mari would inevitably betray Leon. "F-fine," he growled to himself, letting his hands fall to the ground, palms up. "Sithspit, you win. Revan, help me."

"Of course," the Sith Lord said, stepping out of the shadows. His mask was gone, revealing the blood red irises and shaggy brown hair of Leon Reht.

"So it is true. I was holding out hope," Leon said. He scoffed and brought his elbows up to rest on his knees, his hands dangling between his legs. "I am Theron Fel."

"Well, kind of," Revan responded, sitting down to mirror Leon at the opposite side of the room. He had a perpetual smirk, one that Leon really hoped he didn't usually have plastered to his own face. "You're a clone. I'm not quite sure who made you, and honestly who gives a _kriff_? It's not the interesting part, is it?"

"I'm glad to see... I'm having fun?" Leon hissed.

"Good. Besides, the important thing is what you want from me," Revan said, his evil grin widening. "Anything that you want is yours."

"What is it you want?" Leon asked after a moment, eyes narrowed angrily.

"Ooh!" Revan said, slamming his palms together. "Good, you're learning. I was beginning to think you were hopeless, even with my genetic code. Well, what I want right at this moment is vengeance."

"And the long run, dammit?" Leon growled, jumping to his feet and advancing on the Sith.

Revan just laughed caustically. "You can't threaten the dead... Hm? What should I call you now? I'm feeling a bit of deja vu. Went through a similar identity crisis back during my adventuring days. Though I suppose it doesn't matter. You'll surrender it all when you claim our destiny to rule the galaxy as the Darth Revan."

"This isn't funny," Leon snapped.

Revan's smirk disappeared, replaced by a sneer. He didn't move, though he somehow made Leon feel like he was small from where he sat on the ground. "And I'm not laughing," Revan growled, cowing Leon further. "So stop whining like a damn child and tell me what you _kriffing_ want from me, you two cred, cheap excuse for a copy."

Leon glared down at the Sith Lord, knowing that the dead man had absolutely all the power in this relationship. He didn't want to say it, he didn't want to say any of it. But then his mind wandered to Marien, captured by the Empire. Just a few weeks from death. "Teach me everything you know," Leon begged, letting his chin fall to his chest and his knees to the floor. "Master."

Revan's red eyes glowed victoriously in the darkness. "Of course, my apprentice."


	36. Reunion

Leon – for at that point, he was still desperately clinging to whatever remained of his past self, no matter the fact that it was a lie – took an apprehensive step onto the ramp of the Eagle. The air began to push in on him, and the Imperial Knight – _Exile_ , he reminded himself – the Exile held off a panic attack. His training with the man of whom he was a copy had helped him to learn control over his emotions, using them instead of allowing himself to be used by them. "I know this wasn't your first choice," Ana said from his side, placing her hand on his shoulder, "but it is the Will of the Force."

"That's what you Jedi keep saying," he told her hollowly, his half-lidded eyes and hoarse voice conveying none of the rage boiling beneath the surface. She and Cade had tried to comfort him a dozen times over the past few days during their journey to the galactic core. It had only deepened his resentment for the two; they had known, they had both always known the truth and neither had deigned to tell him. Leon had thought Cade his ally, once. Both had only proved Revan correct – betrayal will always come. He was betrayed by his friends, by his Empire... and by a family who apparently did not even exist.

He clenched his fist at his side. He would not believe that she would betray him as well. He refused to believe that even Mari would do the same to him as it seemed everyone else had. In an effort to make everything up to Leon, Cade had Artoo rummaging through Imperial communications for any information on the Chiss woman's whereabouts. There had been no good luck on that front as of yet, and as such no forgiveness.

As Leon took another few steps, he stepped onto the surface of the Galactic Capital. At least, as much as one _could_ walk the surface of the ecumenopolis. The air was intense, the sunlight reflecting off of a thousand windows to nearly melt anyone who was foolish enough to remain outdoors. Leon's mind flashed back to a memory, a fragment of the memories Revan had been planting in his mind since his creation. He was going to see the Triumvirs again. He still wanted to kill them, but now he couldn't. He had to help prop up the government he had dedicated two different lives to destroying.

As he hit the halfway point of the walkway, the doors leading indoors hissed open. A squadron of purple robed guards stomped out, lightsabers igniting or blasters becoming trained on the former Sith Lord. "Halt. Surrender your weapons," the one with a gold sash draped across her chest commanded. A blaster slammed into Leon's back. "Or they will be taken."

Leon narrowed his eyes and stared into the eye slit that was trained on him, but unclipped his saber from his belt and placed it into her outstretched hand. He was confident that the training he had received from Revan in the past couple days would keep him safe from almost any threat. His reflexes were greatly increased already, and he had learned new, more powerful Force abilities. He could escape with Deranis, maybe even Cade and Artoo, albeit narrowly. "Is this any way to treat a defector?" he asked dryly. "I have left everything I knew behind to fight the Empire, after all."

The Guard Captain didn't respond, instead motioning for Cade to surrender his lightsaber. The others were busy searching Deranis and tearing weapons out from every joint in his armor. When they finally decided that they'd taken as much from him as they could find, they just decided to keep two of their blasters aimed on him at any time. The Captain glared once again at Leon. "Follow me," she commanded before turning around and marching back through the door. Leon hesitated for a moment, indignant at being ordered around by anyone, then decided it wasn't worth the trouble and followed her inside.

The room immediately inside was a turbolift and it was, thankfully, air conditioned to be bearable. The Captain slammed a button once the entire group was inside and the lift thrummed for a moment, the changing gravity causing the entire group's internal organs to rise and fall for a moment before settling into equilibrium. "So, which ones of the Triumvirs am I going to meet? Or, re-meet, I suppose."

"Shut up," the Captain snapped. Leon rolled his eyes but did as she asked. The rest of the turbolift ride was quiet, the only noise the pulsating energy in the background. Artoo whistled occasionally, beeping excitedly.

Finally, the lift came to a stop, and Leon felt the hairs on the back of his neck prick up. "Move," one of the guards commanded, jamming their blaster into the small of his back. Leon moved with the shove, and the lift doors slid open to reveal a brightly lit room. There were no windows or openings on the walls, so one had no idea which level of Coruscant they were on. There were doors at varying locations on each wall, the rest of the space covered by weapons racks and holo libraries. At the center of the room was a War Table with a single man leaning against it. His back was to the turbolift, and there was a stick leaning against the table at his side.

"Who's that guy?" Leon asked, causing the man to grab the stick and turn around. He was about the same age as the Exiled Knight, with brown hair and serious eyes. He looked very tired as he leaned against the stick – a cane – and examined Leon right back.

"So, they weren't lying," the man said with a frown. He looked up at the Guardsmen. "You're dismissed."

"But -"

"Dismissed, Captain," he repeated more sternly. His cane clacked loudly against the ground and his glare grew in intensity. The Captain sighed and motioned for her squad to enter the lift after a brief battle of glares. There was another slight hum as it flew upward and away from this clandestine meeting place. Leon shook his head. No, it was a prison.

The man remained quiet for a while, waiting for something. Finally, he motioned for the group to come to the table. Leon moved first, passing the man and catching a heavy glare of both hate and apology. When the crew of the Eagle finally found their places surrounding the table, the man turned around and leaned against it again. Leon stood opposite him, trying to understand why the man looked familiar. It was one of his memories, of that he was sure. He'd seen the guy once before, but he couldn't remember when...

"You really don't recognize me, then," the man muttered. He nodded to himself before continuing. "Well, if we're going to be working together we better clear the air." He looked over at Ana. "It's nice to see you alive."

"You too, Van," she responded, smiling softly at him. "Though the circumstances..." She shrugged.

Leon's eyes widened in recognition. "Grand Triumvirate Admiral Van Taas," he said, drawing the Admiral's gaze.

"So you do recognize me?" he asked, growling at the Exile.

"I was supposed to kidnap you on Zeltros a few weeks ago," Leon explained with a shrug. "Your visit got canceled after some of your Jedi went rogue."

"And?" Van snapped. His cane slapped against the ground again. "Do you remember betraying me? Your friends -"

"And nothing," Leon retorted, lightning crackling at his fingertips. "I'm not Revan."

Van growled. "No, you're worse. A copy of something terrible. Which is worse, isn't it? To be nothing more than the clone of a monster!" he shouted. Leon flinched and let his gaze fall to the ground, the energy between his fingers dissipating. The admiral sighed sympathetically at the sullen Knight. "I – I shouldn't have lost my temper. I'm sorry. You just... I thought I was over what happened."

"Yes, well Van never was all that good at confronting the past," Revan said, appearing beside Leon. He leaned onto the table beside him, grinning cruelly. Leon didn't even look over at the Force ghost, fixing his eyes instead on Van's. The dead Sith had not replaced his mask, instead forcing Leon to view his own twisted visage every time they spoke. "He ran from his mother because he resented her, never got over her death because he hated himself, and now hates you because he's still afraid of a dead man."

"I don't care," Leon told both the Sith and the Admiral, his voice filled with venom. Revan smiled at the bitter reply, while Admiral Taas growled disapprovingly. Leon turned his gaze on Cade, who took it without flinching, then turned to Ana. "You brought me here for a reason, right? So how about you tell me what the _kark_ it is."

"The Forge," she replied, her voice much more sympathetic than the Admiral's. She reached out and placed her hand on Leon's shoulder. "Where is it?"

"If I knew, do you really think I'd be here on Coruscant, begging for the help of the people I hate the most?" he snapped, slapping the Jedi's hand away. "No. I'd be in orbit around Dromun Kaas, demanding Rhen's surrender."

"What?" Van asked, turning towards Ana. "R-Rhen's alive?"

"I thought it would be best if I told you in person," Ana explained, shooting an angry glare at Leon. She looked back at Admiral Taas. "Yes. And no. Rhen Vao is lost, his mind fractured by the treatment he received at the hands of the Empire. Now..."

"He's the Emperor," Cade finished when he realized that Ana wouldn't finish the thought.

Admiral Taas stared hollowly at the old Jedi once this was said, slowly letting his gaze fall to the center of the War Table. "I..." he began, but suddenly lost the words. He shook his head before coughing to clear his throat. "No... No, Rhen died. This is husk is all Revan's fault."

"Yes. In retrospect it _is_ one of my more glaring mistakes," Revan admitted, shaking his head in self castigation. "It was a moment of weakness: I didn't want to give up the only connection I retained to Theron Fel. Learn from that mistake when you inevitably must destroy your past to embrace our future."

"Can we continue, or do you need a few more minutes to cry?" Leon growled at the Admiral.

"Leon, stop it," Cade cautioned. "Before you do something you'll regret."

"You're not acting like yourself," Deranis agreed.

"I guess an Echani Mandalorian would know all about not being himself," Leon snapped, pushing off from the table. He looked around at the confused, disapproving faces. "I didn't come here to make myself feel better. I came here to kill Nernyn so I can go home."

"It's not that simple," Ana countered. "The Empire -"

"Will continue to exist. Make no mistake, you still work for the government that killed _my_ parents," Leon growled threateningly. He shook his head. "We are allied for now, so you better show me that there is reason for us to remain such when I retake my throne."

"Leon?" Cade asked, placing his hand on the younger man's shoulder.

The Knight shook his head, feeling a a haze leave his mind. Those hadn't quite been his words, had they? "I was angry," Revan explained with a shrug. Leon just growled and turned around, marching towards one of the doors lining the wall.

"Leon -" Ana said, beginning to walk after him.

"No. You'd only make him angrier," Cade warned, grabbing the young woman by her shoulder as the clone of Revan left the room. He turned the woman towards him and shook his head. "We need to find Marien. We need to give him time."

"Time to what?" Van snapped, slamming his palms into the War Table. "He's had two years to -"

"He's had two days!" Deranis shouted, cowing the Admiral. "You can't understand what he's going through. Everything he believed about who he is? It was a lie, one made up to make a weapon or a fail safe. Try to imagine what it would be like if your entire past had been a lie."

Ana and Van glanced at each other. "We know all too well," the Admiral finally admitted. He sighed and pushed off from the table. "Fine. We'll reconvene tomorrow. There are quarters for all three of you." He gestured at Cade and Deranis before pointing at the door through which Leon had marched. "And for your new commanding officer." He gestured at Ana.

"W-what?" she asked, stunned.

"Triumvirs made the decision as soon as they got the news you were coming back. Congratulations, Captain Gann," Van stated with a grin as he picked up his cane. He shrugged. "Stay here or go to the Jedi Temple. It's up to you where you live. Now, if you'll all excuse me, I have a lot of work to do. We can talk tomorrow after the debrief, Ana. Again... it's good to see you alive."

SWSWSWSWSW

Darth Nernyn smiled to himself as he walked through the halls of Kaas' deepest torture chambers. The screams that echoed out around him served to brighten his spirits, having long ago learned that taking joy in even the darkest things is necessary to survival for a Sith Lord. Of course, he was heading for the one cell from which the screams coming were not those of anguish, but those of rage. "Let me out and I'll kill you quickly!" the prisoner screamed, audible even through the durasteel doors. Nernyn laughed to himself, letting her rage on for another few minutes before opening the doors with a wave of his hand.

He entered the cell and the doors slid shut behind him, leaving him in utter darkness. A moment later, lights flicked on to reveal a Chiss woman bound to a slab of metal. Her face was scrunched up, eyes blinded by the sudden increase in light. Nernyn stood silently at the door, waiting for her to realize he was there. When her vision adjusted, she finally did so. "Let me the _kark_ out, you Nerf Herding weakling!"

Nernyn scoffed. "You think to bait me?" he asked incredulously. The Sith shook his head. "Well, it won't work. We're not here to talk about me, after all. We're not even here to talk about you. No, we're here to converse on the topic of our mutual friend."

"Leon..." Marien muttered, her eyes drifting down.

"Revan," Nernyn corrected. He walked over to stand near the Chiss' and placed his hand on the table next to her head. "You do know he is inevitably going to betray you?"

"Leon wouldn't do that," she retorted, red eyes narrowed under her furrowed brow. "He's -"

"A good person? Please," Nernyn scoffed. His hand clenched to a fist and he slammed the mechanical prosthesis into the table, denting the metal beside Marien's skull. "He betrayed me, his best friend. His brother."

"He cares for me," Marien retorted.

Nernyn nodded. "He does. In fact, I'm counting on that bringing him to me," the Emperor explained. He dragged his hand across the metal and over Marien's throat. She shivered and flinched away, eliciting a laugh from her captor. "Of course, that has never stopped him before. If I remember correctly, he betrayed the woman he loved just a few years ago. And you do not compare to her."

"I know. Because I _defy_ any comparisons."

"He's with her now," Nernyn said, ignoring the Chiss woman's retorts. "And their connection lasted past his Fall, despite what they both insisted. Do you really believe he will choose you? No. He surely believes you are dead. And if not, he has abandoned you to me." Nernyn turned and leaned in to place his face directly above the Chiss woman's. "How does that feel? Do you hate him? Because know that as long as you do not hate him, your pain will not end. Only when you fulfill the role you were given by your traitorous master, will it stop."

The Chiss Sith spat, the globule spattering across the Emperor's eyes. "Do your worst," she hissed.

"You will belong to me, soon enough," Nernyn stated, leaning back and pulling his cloak up to wipe away the spit on his face. He lowered his hand and wiped the saliva from his face. He then raised his hands above Marien and smiled evilly before unleashing a flow of Force energy from his outstretched fingers. Marien screamed in pain as the energy traveled through her body, the pain in each of her nerves its own explosion. The screams went on and on, widening the smile on the Emperor's face. Eventually, she fell into unconsciousness, hours later. Even still, the stream of electricity did not stop.

A few minutes later, Nernyn lowered his hands and activated his commlink. "I need bacta injections and minor adrenals sent to cell 1313," he commanded. He grinned, yellow eyes hungry as he glared down at the unconscious woman and the smoke rising from her skin. "This prisoner will not be allowed any rest."


	37. Fractures in the Hull

**AN: Hey everyone, I hope you're all still enjoying this story. It's about to pick up as we enter the final four arcs of the story – 1:** ** _Stages of Grief_** **, 2:** ** _Jailbreak_** **, 3:** ** _Revanant_** **, and 4:** ** _The Forge_** **. If you like the story so far, please leave a review! If not, leave some constructive criticism, I guess. Enjoy!**

Ana stood at the head of the War Room's galactic map table, right next to the Grand Admiral, waiting for the still broken Leon to enter so they could begin the debrief. She was wearing her Jedi robes – a brown robe over tan and brown layers of cortosis-weave armor. Ana looked over at Cade, who had his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes glazed over from the depth of his thought. He was wearing his trademark jacket, though he'd replaced his pants with tan ones, and his durasteel chest armor with a simple black shirt. Artoo was next to him, dome head spinning around and whirring as it scanned incoming intelligence – something the Skywalker had been adamant about getting rights to. Ana looked to the other side of the table, where Deranis was fidgeting, anxious for a fight. The Echani was wearing a darker version of his usual armor, the compression under armor was replaced with Mando'a gray and the armor itself a black. "When an Echani is betrayed and shamed, he must reflect that outwardly," he had explained.

"I swear he's doing this just to annoy me," Van growled to his old friend. Ana smiled sympathetically and placed her hand on his shoulder. Van looked over at the door where Leon had run off the night before. "Where the _kark_ is he?"

"You don't have to yell," Leon said as the door hissed open. He stepped out, wearing a black, hooded shirt with a lightly armored black and gray jacket over it. His pants were black with a pair of red stripes running down the outside of each leg and tucked into his black boots. Connected to his belt was a layer of cloth that gave his clothes their usual faux-robes style. There were no gloves on his hands. Leon had shaved down his hair, leaving only a slight buzz cut atop his skull. His eyes were their usual gray, though they looked tired and dull compared to their usual shine. "I'm here."

"Good. Then we can start," Admiral Taas noted. He pressed a button on the War Table, causing the galactic map floating above it to disappear in a flicker, replaced by five planets. One, a glaring yellow and brown – Tatooine. The second, a world of deep, verdant green – Kashyyyk. Thirdly, a sphere of light green – Dantooine. Fourth, a blue orb labeled Manaan. And, finally, a world the same color as the lightsaber of a Sith, Korriban itself. "We've had our Astromechs sifting through all the data that was present in the _Eagle_ 's databanks. From it, we've found five points of interest. We've reviewed all of the information from your reports on the Kashyyyk machine and have sent agents to review with it. We're also having agents check the machines present on Tatooine, Dantooine, and Manaan." As he listed off each planet's name, the sphere disappeared from the hologram until only the red one remained. "We believe that we should be able to piece together the location of the Forge using data found at all of the sites."

"So what do you need us for?" Leon asked hollowly. He turned his gaze on Van, though his eyes barely registered the admiral's presence. Van shivered as he felt the Exile gaze through him, the empty stare flickering with hate and hope for a moment before returning to normal. "If you have all this information, why bother with us at all?"

"Because memory or no, Revan built nearly a thousand fail safes into his Empire. Genetic fail safes that you, as his clone, fit," Ana responded. She typed into the War Table, and the image of Korriban flickered to turn into a tower. It was angular and covered in weaponry; the style of a True Empire military fortification. "And we're willing to make a trade."

Leon's eyes widened. "You what?" he asked, leaning onto the table.

"Yeah. What do you mean?" Cade asked as he narrowed his eyes. He gestured at Artoo. "This guy's the best in the galaxy at data sifting. He has more than two hundred years of experience cracking through firewalls – Republic, Empire, GA, Triumvirate, Sith... If he didn't find anything, then how in the name of hell did you?"

"Easy. You've been looking for it for two days. We've known about this tower for almost six months," the Admiral explained to the old Jedi. "It's where the Emperor has kept those he deemed most worthy of his... special attention. He apparently inherited that idea from y – from Revan. Some time ago, as a result of the chaos that _you_ unleashed on Coruscant, one of the most important assets that we were holding on planet was captured. We spent a lot of time searching for her, and we kept coming up empty. Until six months ago, when we broke through a level of encryption on our copy of the _Fel_ 's data drive, that is."

"So you want us to get her?" Leon asked, life in his eyes again. "Fine. Just tell me where it is. Tell me what I need to do to find her!" He slammed his fists on the table. "Tell me!"

"You need to agree to help us first," Van responded solemnly, his eyes fixed on Leon's. "We're not doing half-measures – this will be the end of the Empire. Forever."

Leon took a deep breath, shaking his head. He wouldn't let them do that – he wouldn't let them destroy his home and way of life. "But you're the bad guys here!" he protested. He pointed at Van. "Your people killed Revan's parents – _my_ parents!"

"Something that the Triumvirate government has publicly denounced as the actions of a small cabal whose ranks and names were stricken from history. They will be... forgotten," the Grand Admiral explained. He shrugged. "We've punished those responsible."

"You think that's what I want?" Leon asked, eyes wide with disbelief. "Y-you can't be serious! I don't want something petty like a simple punishment. I want the galaxy to become better! Your Triumviracy... it's... it's broken. Scared. You can't have people who are _scared_ of individuals with power running a galaxy! The Empire is about changing that! I made it to change that!"

"So, Theron?" Ana asked, seeing what was really speaking to her.

"So? So you betrayed me because you were scared! Your father murdered mine because he was _scared!_ " Leon snapped, the words leaving his mouth his own, yet... not. "Your entire galaxy is cowards, and I will not let people like that decide my fate ever again. I will not let them face what's coming!"

"Leon," Cade muttered, shoving his elbow into the warrior's side to cut him off. The Exile turned on Cade to see his eyes set sadly. That was when Leon realized what had happened – he'd responded like he was Theron Fel. Was whatever identity programmed into him falling apart now that he knew the truth? Was he... dying?

"So, it turns out you're just like him," Van said, drawing Leon's angry, scared glare. "You'd surrender the people you love to death for something as small as power. Congratulations on finding yourself again, Revan."

"Shut up!" Leon snarled, jumping across the table and tackling the Grand Admiral to the ground. His cane clattered uselessly against the ground as Leon's fingers laced around the other man's throat. Van gurgled, clutching at the fingers around his neck. "I'll kill you. Me. Leon Reht. No one else. I'll kill you, and it'll be proof I was real! I existed and _I_ killed you! Not Revan, not Theron Fel – Me, Leon Reht!" Leon roared in rage as two pairs of hands tore him from atop the Admiral. He snarled and raged against the strength holding him back as Ana ran over to the Admiral's side. "Just let me kill him! He deserves it!"

"Even if it means Blue dies?!" Cade snapped, yanking back on Leon's arm.

The pain and the words jolted Leon out of his rage. His body went limp and he was suddenly dangling from the grips of Cade and Deranis, panting as he stared at the ground. Tears began to well up in his eyes, the rage and hate turning to bitter resentment for life. He resigned himself to the trade – everything he had ever built for the only person who he would not betray. "Why? Why did it have to be like this?"

Van coughed, clutching at his throat as Ana helped him painfully push himself to his feet. "Because you deserve it, too," he whispered hoarsely, drawing Leon's angry gaze again. The Admiral stared down at the other man, his contempt and hate rivaling Leon's right then. Finally, he turned around. "It will take a month to draw up a plan and get our agents in place. In the mean time, you have nowhere else to go. So go ahead, wander Coruscant. See what you hate so much, the world of 'those who fear power.' Then you can tell me who was afraid." And, with that, the Admiral hobbled into the elevator.

Cade and Deranis released the Exile's arms, letting him fall to his knees on the floor, a defeated, hollow shell of a man. No, not even a man – a copy. "You're so close, Leon," Revan said, appearing to kneel next to the tear ridden Exile, a victorious smirk on his face. He placed an ethereal hand on Leon's shoulder. "So close to knowing what you have to do. But don't worry, you won't be alone when it comes. I'll be right there when you discover the truth, ready to offer you that sweetest gift of revenge."

Leon just fell to his hands, the tears streaming even faster, and began to sob.

SWSWSWSWSW

Mari awoke without opening her eyes. Everything burned, the entire world felt like cold fire had danced across her skin for days. That she still felt that pain was impressive, considering that her body moved with the same sluggishness that usually came with intense numbness. She was sure that it was worse than she thought, especially since she kept passing out during these "sessions."

She groaned and instinctively tried to reach up to cover her eyes, despite knowing that her wrists were bound to the table. Well, wrist – her prosthesis had been destroyed during the torture a while ago, and had to be removed. For some reason, her captor wanted her to be in top physical shape despite the constant torture, which probably explained why her body had more bacta than blood in it at that point. Hm, maybe that also explained the numbness?

Mari slowly opened her eyes, revealing a face she had become far too familiar with over the past week. "And how are you feeling, little Traya?" the Sith Emperor asked, his sharp toothed grin and how one of his eyes was injured so the iris was black, save a glowing yellow ring around it, giving him the look of a shark. "Because you look like Bantha poodoo."

"So I'm still prettier than you, _Rhen?_ " she spat back, smirking as the sneering smile disappeared from the Sith Lord's face. Mari laughed caustically, letting her eyes shut again. "I mean, wow, Ther really did a number on you. Is the reason you always had that cloak up because you were scared of your own reflection? I would be, too, with a face like that."

"I could always stop with the bacta treatments," Nernyn responded coolly. He walked slowly over to the woman and she opened her eyes, surprised as cold metal hands suddenly grasped her face. The sharp edges of the fingers dug into her skin and dragged along her face, leaving thin, white-blue marks that quickly disappeared. Had the Emperor been trying even a little harder, he would have left bleeding scratches instead. The hand drifted to her neck then to the hem of her robes, fingers slipping just beneath the edge cloth. "Or we can go... further." The Emperor laughed at the defiant stare on Marien's face and his hand let go of the top of her shirt. "You saw through me! There's no loyalty to be fostered through _that_."

"You're a sick son of a _schutta_ ," Mari spat at the Fallen Jedi.

Nernyn nodded in agreement. "I am what my master made me," he admitted with a nonchalant shrug. He leaned over the woman and smiled calmly down at her. "Which means we will not be so different, soon. It is the nature of those descended from Darth Vader to blaze a trail that inevitably destroys all those closest to them. Make no mistake, your master never lied to you, not when you repeatedly asked her for guidance. Every time she told you that your betrayal or his was inevitable, every time she explained your doom would come if you did not break him, she was right."

"Y-you were watching us?" Mari asked, worried now.

"Please," the Emperor mocked with a cruel smile. "I knew everything. Your masters were... traitorous. I enjoyed that; reminds me of myself. And if you aren't making enemies, you aren't being a good Sith Lord. Still, I had plans to survive this war. I would not be betrayed by a fool and a Fallen Jedi – I am not Revan, after all."

"Sorry, then which one are you? The fool or the Fallen Jedi? Because, I can't tell," Mari mocked, eyes narrowing on the Sith Lord and a smirk growing across her face.

Nernyn just smiled, the utter peace of the look unnerving the Chiss woman to no end. "You know, I think I can see it. Revan – Theron – Leon... whatever you want to call him. He always had a thing for strong willed women. An equal, of sorts. I'm guessing that's why he didn't care for you back then, when he was a child. You were just a weak little girl who he always had to save. A tool."

"Shut up," Marien growled.

The Emperor ignored her. "Now? Now you're suddenly worth something? Well. Were. Ana's become... so much more recently. I've kept an eye on everyone since the war broke out. Even entertained going to see them. The thought only made me angrier. Made me hate them for leaving me at the hands of a mad man," he said, clasping his hands at his back and pacing in front of her. "Where was I? Right. Ana has become, perhaps, the most powerful Jedi in all the Triumviracy. And nothing – like I said – _nothing_ gets Revan going like pure, unadulterated power in a woman. You said he... loves you? Yes? I believe you told Vallen that he would never betray you?"

"Because he wouldn't. He won't. He's... better than that," Mari protested. "Better than you, traitor!"

"I've told you a thousand times, you damnable child. I thought that once, too. I was his brother and he betrayed me. What chance have you? If he always knew who he was, then he lied to you. If he didn't? Well, then learning the truth is only going to cause the walls to fracture and the Sith Lord's personality and desires to re-emerge, Darker than before. And with that, you will be forgotten, just as he forgot you time and again when he claimed he would save you. He will betray you, claiming he won't even as he does. It's what Sith do."

"So serve you? An actual traitor?" Mari asked incredulously.

"Ha! Yes. I'll at least be honest with you," the Emperor explained, placing his hand on the woman's shoulder. "And along the way? I will teach you everything. Darth Traya, more than four millennia ago, ruled the Sith with an iron fist. I know, one day, I will be surpassed. Maybe my fractured form will finally fall apart and a weaker apprentice will destroy me. I'd rather I train a worthy successor. Such as you."

"No," Mari said, teeth clenched shut. She shook her shoulder as best she could and the Emperor let go of her, grinning as he did. "He'll come for me. I know that, because I've done the same for him."

"Well... then I suppose we'll have to talk about this later," he said, raising his hands above Marien. She didn't flinch as his fingers splayed open above her, energy crackling between their tips. She was brave, strong. But she'd break. They always break. Her screams of pain as the lightning traveled along her body only confirmed this for the Sith Lord. It was only a matter of time.


	38. Tales from Coruscant II

Deranis was not nearly as intrigued with the idea of gallivanting around Coruscant as Leon or Cade were. Unlike those two, he had lived on Coruscant just a year before, and he knew that very little on the ecumenopolis ever changed, let alone in a time span that small. Unfortunately, that left him with few options to pass the time. He didn't feel like engaging in conversation with the liar who had betrayed them, so it instead came down to doing one of the many things that caused the Mandalorian blood coursing through his veins to war with his Echani heritage. Meditation.

It was an odd feeling, being completely on edge and entirely calm. In a way, he supposed it was what both of the cultures from which he was descended had hunted for decades: to become one with battle at its deepest, most intricate level. He was only at peace when he was completely restless. But philosophy like that was best left to people who cared about it. For him, the important part was having to deal with how much he wanted to punch something instead of just sitting there and waiting.

"So you're just going to ignore me?" Ana asked from beside of the War Table. She was looking down at the warrior who was kneeling in the middle of the room. His face flashed in annoyance as she interrupted him. "We're going to be working together, so you might as well talk to me."

"I'd sooner talk to my mother," the Echani growled gruffly. He opened one eye and it locked onto the Jedi woman, who crossed her arms and met his gaze. "After all, the Echani do not take kindly to traitors."

"Traitor?" she asked, one eyebrow rising. She scoffed and shook her head. "Of course _you_ would think that. From my point of view, I only did what was necessary to protect the people and things I care about the most. I'm a warrior, just like you."

"A real warrior attacks from the front," Deranis snapped, growling as he stood up. If she kept doing this, there was no way he was going to have any peace and quiet to meditate, so might as well get it out of the way. He walked over to the table and poked the Jedi Knight's shoulder. "With honor and a desire to test yourself against another!"

"I've already tested myself against the greatest in the galaxy. My _honor_ is not in question, Echani," Ana responded, sweeping her hand in front of her. She gestured upward. "And neither is theirs. The Triumvirate that exists now does so with only one goal in mind – fight against the evil that the Empire has unleashed."

"By being exactly like the Triumvirates that preceded them?" Deranis countered. He sighed. "Seeking out control before honor? Power before glory? For a government that claims to espouse freedom, your kind sure do love limiting that freedom."

"Just because something isn't perfect doesn't mean it should be wiped away," Ana responded calmly. She pointed at Deranis. Her voice began to rise indignantly. "If that _were_ the case, then surely the Empire does not deserve to exist either. It's just as guilty of those crimes. So, what, should we allow anarchy? The Triumviracy exists because it allows the Jedi, the military, and the Empire to coexist as one. It brings peace, you warmongering Mandalorian!"

"If you can't see why that doesn't matter," Deranis muttered as he moved towards the turbolift, "then you people are the warmongers." He shut the lift and rocketed up. A moment later, he was walking down the streets of Coruscant's mid-levels.

"I could use a damn drink," he muttered to himself. "Should've gone with Leon."

A few minutes later, he turned into the nearest bar and was sitting down with a Mandalorian Fire Whiskey – what could he say, he may despise the Mandalorians, but they made a much better drink than the Echani. "Nice to see you haven't abandoned everything from our side of your heritage."

"Skirata. To what do I owe the disappointment of your presence?" Deranis asked, slamming his drink down on the bar and spinning to glare at the Mandalorian warrior. The dark skinned human was looking at the son of Mandalore with an annoyed glare. He wasn't wearing his armor, instead dressed in a red leather flight jacket and brown pants, the only indicator of his heritage a small Mandalorian script letter on his shoulder

"Believe me, I'm not happy about it either," the Mandalorian retorted as another Fire Whiskey was put before him. He took a deep drink. "Damn it, this is some weak _kriff_."

"Well, not all of it can be made on Mandalore," Deranis countered as he took another drink. He frowned. "Well? Get the hell on with it."

"Don't rush me, _Stoopa_ ," the Mandalorian snapped. He took another slow drink. "Ah... So, you've been blacklisted by the Empire. Care to tell me why the hell that is?"

"The _arujetti_ is Revan and the Emperor wants him dead," Deranis responded, knowing to mask the truth would just waste time. It wasn't like the Mandalorians cared; they weren't expected to share information. Just fight and trade _bes'kar_. "Give or take a cloning somewhere in there."

"So more 'Jedi' and 'Force' nonsense?" Skirata asked as he took another drink.

"Yup," Deranis said with a shrug. "Not that I understand any of it. Sometimes I even start looking fondly on training with you as a boy."

"You liked losing?"

"If I remember right, I always won," Deranis growled. He sighed. "Now, is there anything else, or can I drink in peace?"

"Mandalore wants to see you."

"Not leaving Leon."

"She's not asking that you leave your battle brother," Skirata assured. He motioned for another fire whiskey.

Deranis actually stopped bringing his own drink up. "You mean Failyn is on Coruscant?" he asked, looking over at Skirata with an interested glare. She rarely left Mandalore anymore, consumed with leading the clans as she was. She barely had any time to battle on the front lines anymore.

"That's right. So come and see her tomorrow. You remember the old legends?" Skirata asked.

"The Taung didn't come from Coruscant," Deranis muttered in exasperation.

"So you _do_ remember. Maybe you do have respect for your culture," Skirata muttered. He shrugged. "Then you know where we'll be waiting. Tomorrow, when the Hearts of Warriors gleam."

"You can just say sundown, you know," Deranis muttered dryly as Skirata walked away. He took another drink then sighed. The Mandalorian hadn't payed for his drinks, which meant he expected the Echani warrior to do it for him. "Typical Mandalorian _kriff_."

SWSWSWSWSW

"You!"

Cade groaned and stopped walking up the stairs to the Jedi Temple. He knew it was only a matter of time before the Grandmaster and the Council sent for him like he was an animal at their beck and call. Better to get it over with and on his terms. For now, though, he was stuck talking with a Zeltron padawan. "Detriae Lerscat, right?" he asked, crossing his arms and looking at the panting girl on the steps below him. He raised an eyebrow as she continued panting, hands on her knees. "You'd think after twenty thousand years, they'd have figured out to build some kind of turbolift for these stairs, huh?"

The young woman suddenly snapped upward and took a deeper breath. "Hello... Cade. You know, I didn't believe you when you said you were _the_ Cade Skywalker."

"Yeah, I get that response a lot," Cade laughed, shrugging beneath his jacket. "It's usually that I'm too old lookin' or skinnier or shorter than everyone expects. What was it this time?"

"The council's always said you still sent them reports because you're one of their agents," the padawan responded. "But I looked up some old Holos of you. They were lying?"

"Jedi lie. It's what they do," Cade said, shrugging again. He looked up the stairs at the temple. "It's always been like that. Jedi love lying to padawans because it's 'for the greater good.'"

"Why would you say something like that?" Lerscat asked. She rubbed her arm nervously. "I... You shouldn't say that like it's a bad thing. Sacrifices must be made."

"Don't tell me they've got you drinkin' the the blue milk," Cade muttered, shaking his head. He laughed at the Zeltron and she glared at him angrily. "When I saw you on Zeltros, I thought you showed potential. Don't go proving me wrong, Det."

"Don't give me nicknames, you old weirdo!" she snapped, fist raised in front of her.

"Calm down, Det," Cade rebuked her with a smirk. He turned around and began walking up the stairs. "Why don't you lead me to the Council room? They should be in emergency deliberation, and I feel like the topic should be included in the conversation."

"What do you mean?" Detriae asked, walking with him.

"Would you prefer I respond like a Jedi or like a normal person?" Cade asked. He laughed and shrugged. "Though there are many ways to skin a wookiee, the people of the galaxy always have their own favorites."

"Well, that sounds like something my master used to say."

"Used to?"

"Your friend killed him," the padawan remarked. "He was sent to Corellia to prevent your allies from breaking into a facility. It didn't end well."

"I remember," Cade muttered. He took one hand from his pocket and placed it on her shoulder as they walked. "I am sorry about that. Leon is... dealing with some things that are pretty bad. The Force swirls around him like a storm of destruction. The people who cross paths with people like him – with people like me – tend to end up on the wrong side of a lightsaber."

"You say that so callously," Detriae muttered coolly.

"Would you rather I lie like the council? Claim you can defeat the Will of the Force and those whom it has chosen as a champion? The Sith have learned the hard way for more than twenty thousand years, Det, that no one can," Cade retorted, stopping and glaring down at her. He shook his head at the young woman. "Eventually, a group as big and powerful as the Jedi and Triumvirate were going to be on the wrong side of things. It was an inevitability, Kid."

"Then... what? This is pointless? The Jedi don't deserve to exist?"

Cade laughed. "That's shortsighted, kid. The Sith keep coming back, right?" he asked. He shook his head. "No, the Force doesn't choose Light or Dark. It doesn't give a damn about that _kriff_ , Det. No, it never chooses 'the chosen people,' it chooses 'the Chosen One.' It's not that the Jedi bring balance to the Force, it's that there is 'One who will bring Balance to the Force.' You have to make your own decision about what's right and wrong; don't let the dodgy morons on the Council decide what's best."

"But they have studied the Will of the Force for decades! They have the wisdom of all who came before them!" Detriae protested.

"Does that stop them from getting wiped out every fifty years?" Cade responded sarcastically. He chuckled at the padawan's glare. "Trust me here, Det, they know about as much about the Will of the Force as anyone else who sits around in a tower could. They don't look around and live with what – oh, do thy still say this? – the Force 'penetrates and binds together?' Nah, they hide away and pretend nothing matters to them. If the Force really is in everything, maybe that means it cares about those things, you think?"

SWSWSWSWSW

Leon stared up at the flashing neon sign of the bar, ignoring whatever the _kark_ it was that it said. It didn't really matter. What _did_ matter was that today was Treaty Day, or as it was know in the Empire, the Sundering. The day that, years earlier, the two heads of the Empire had been cut down by those they had once deemed their closest friends and advisors, the people who by all rights should have been loyal to them no matter what they worried was going to happen. More importantly, it was also the birthday of the True Empire. It _had_ been a Treaty Day on which Darth Revan had struck down both Darth Nihl and the Jedi Grandmaster Sylven Horn almost two years earlier, and it was, as such, the day in which the Empire was sundered in two. Leon sighed, then moved forward and walked through the door.

Inside was a pretty unassuming bar. If this were before the war, he was sure that everyone present would have been partying and drinking like madmen. Leon remembered a few of such parties he'd enjoyed when he'd entered his second standard decade – or rather, the memories that Revan had implanted on his mind. Now, whatever joy the citizenry felt was much more evenly tempered, reminding Leon of the parties in the True Empire since its inception. Independence from the weakness of the Triumviracy had only come at a very steep price, for both the citizenry and for the founder of the Empire itself.

Leon hobbled over to the bar and threw himself down. He lifted a finger up as he hunched over and stared at the wood – actual wood! – of the bar. A moment later, a Tarisian Ale was slid over to stop in front of him. "Today marks the fourth anniversary of the beginning of the Great Imperial Secessionist War," the holonet reporters said from the corner. Leon looked up at the screen and narrowed his eyes. One of them was a blue Twi'lek with his _lekku_ tied in front of him like an organic scarf. If Leon remembered correctly, his co anchor used to be a Chiss woman, but she'd gone over to the True Empire during the Sundering. Her replacement was a morose looking human woman with dark skin and a heavy brow. To be fair, most reporters had grown gray and tired over the past four years; the war had been... brutal, to say the least. Leon knew that he – or Revan – had been at the center of far too much of that brutality. "And around the Triumvirate, people are taking to the streets in droves as a show of support for the soldiers who are currently risking their lives all across the galaxy in order to check the advance of the Sith Empire."

"The Triumviracy released the following statement today in response to the overwhelming support that the citizenry are displaying," the woman continued.

"Ha. Support? That footage is the same they used three years ago!" the bartender, a Besalisk who was glaring at the screen and shaking his head. He sighed and shrugged. "Only an idiot would believe the _kriff_ they're putting on the air."

"You mean that the war isn't popular here?" Leon asked, looking over at the bartender with an eyebrow raised.

"Popular? Hell no," the Besalisk replied. He narrowed his gaze on the Exile. "Hm... you from Imperial Space?"

"Displaced by the war," Leon explained before the bartender could call Corsec.

"Not one to judge. War hasn't been the same since Revan's death. The Triumvirs may say no one wants peace, but that's just because peace is impossible. Revan offered and they said no, they were too proud, too stupid. They wanted it all. And now that everyone wants it, its when Revan's gone and his nutjob of an apprentice is the Emperor."

"Revan was no hero either," Leon stated after taking a swig from the Tarisian ale. He glared at the wall and clenched his fist around his mug. "He did some terrible things for vengeance."

"Yeah, well, who wouldn't?" the bartender asked. He scratched the back of his head. "Not sayin' I think he did the right things, but I get where he was comin' from... you know, when you act all angry like that you look really familiar... hey! I know now – I banned you from this bar four years ago!"

Leon hissed and gingerly placed his mug down. Revan, then? Revan had been here. Probably sat in the same damn chair, drinking the same damn brand of Tarisian Ale. Leon hadn't even been _alive_ back then, given his nature as a well made copy. "Believe me, even if you were right, you'd definitely be wrong," he said, shutting his eyes and sighing. "I get that a lot, actually. But I'm not lying when I say that the guy you're talking about? Yeah, he wasn't me. In fact, he's dead. Died... two years ago, now. It was in the news. Big thing, probably showed that same parade they were showing earlier."

"Two years ago..?" the Besalisk asked. His eyes widened. "Wait... wait, you're sayin' that guy was Revan!?"

The entire bar went quiet and Leon sighed again, reaching down to his lightsaber in case something started happening. The way some of the Jedi and 'Loyalist' Knights were leering at him, it was starting to look inevitable. "Well, the guy who'd _become_ Darth Revan," Leon corrected, fingers wrapped around his weapon. "Back then, we all know that wasn't his name."

The Besalisk bartender whistled, impressed. "Damn. I kicked Darth Revan out of my bar..." he said quietly. He began to laugh at the sheer lunacy of it all. "I kicked the most powerful guy in the galaxy out of my bar! Free round for everybody!"

Leon shook his head and let go of his weapon as a resounding cheer erupted around him and the music began again. He downed his drink and pulled out a handful of credits, dropping them on the bar. "Keep the change," he muttered as he pushed away and jumped off his seat. He stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"You know you look just like him, right?" the Besalisk asked. Leon sighed, his shoulders heaving, and turned around. The Besalisk barkeep was holding a holo picture with bright red letters spelling _BANNED_ at the bottom. In it was an angry, raging young man with steely eyes and shaggy brown hair. He was being dragged away by a blue Twi'lek with a huge, apologetic smile on his face. Despite himself, Leon felt a pang of regret when his eyes locked on the Twi'lek's face; the image flashed in his mind to be replaced with the sneer of Revan's ghost and the disgusted rage of Darth Nernyn.

"I'm insulted," Leon muttered before turning away with his hands in his pockets, and walking out of the bar. He took a few steps away and let the crowds flow around him. A moment later, the Exiled Emperor was gone.


	39. Mandalore the Engineer

"And is there a reason that I have to be here?" Leon growled as he and Deranis exited the turbolift onto the lowest level of Coruscant, a place that it took more than three dozen lifts and a half dozen taxis to actually get to. And, for the amount of work that was necessary, was not a very rewarding destination for those who decided to make the trip. The light of the Coruscant system's star was long since drowned out by the uncountable levels of criss crossing buildings and walkways of the ecumenopolis far above. And even when Leon and Deranis activated their personal lights, it wasn't much to look at anyways. There was some nearly dead, luminescent foliage and the leavings of large predators around. Leon ignited his lightsaber upon seeing that.

"What, did you have something else you planned on doing?" Deranis asked mockingly as he shouldered his rifle. "Or was it still just moping about in different bars that – Surprise! – Revan used to party in?"

Leon grumbled angrily in response, saying, "You aren't answering my question." He turned and held his saber out in front of him upon hearing a low growl. There was an animalistic shriek in the darkness and the noise of heavy footprints running off. "You aren't scared of a few giant predators, are you?"

"I used to hunt down here to keep my skills sharp while working for Jool. There is little here that I do not know how to deal with," the Echani explained. He took a deep breath. "Besides, it feels... familiar."

Leon glanced at the ground. He felt the same way about... virtually everything on Coruscant by this point. Often, he would pick faces out of a crowd and feel a rush of emotions that were not his and memories to accompany them that he had never experienced. Once, when walking by the Coruscant Galactic Museum he had experienced an irrational burst of disgust upon seeing the head of security leave the building.

"Well, and of course the obvious reasons," Deranis continued, firing off a warning shot into the darkness. There was a loud, angry growl in the distance as the nearest predators sprinted off in fear.

"What obvious reasons?" Leon asked, lightsaber dropping to his side as he walked. It hummed hungrily at his hip, its dim glow cutting through the pitch shadows.

"There's so many!" Deranis said, glancing over at the exiled Knight with an incredulous look on his face. "Consider – you are my battle brother, the leader of my Clan, in Mandalorian terms. For you to not be present at a meeting between myself and Mandalore -"

"Your mother, you mean?" Leon interjected.

"Yes... my mother. For you not to be present would be a stain on both my honor and upon hers. Mandalorians would not take such a thing lightly, especially not their leader," Deranis responded with an angry growl. He shrugged and continued walking onward. "And, regardless of whether or not you are Revan or his clone, the blood that runs through your veins is held in the highest regard by the Mando'a clans. Mandalore Fett once trained your ancestor, Jaina Solo, to assassinate Darth Caedus more than a century ago. Most important is your ancient name sake. He once destroyed the Mandalorian Clans in war, earning their eternal respect even as he cast them across the galaxy in weaponless diaspora. Later still, he led one of our greatest leaders to defeat Darth Malak and rebuild the Mandalorian Clans. Revan is as much a hero to us as to the galaxy as a whole."

"'Our?'" Leon inquired with a smirk.

Deranis' eyes widened. "I – You know what I mean, Leon," the Echani muttered, returning his attention down the sights of his blaster. "You would do well to understand that one's blood does not decide his destiny."

Leon grunted in agreement. "You're right," he muttered. He raised his saber again and glared out into the darkness. He was greeted by, first, one 'T' shaped visor of red light. Then by another. Finally, there appeared to be a dozen concentrated around them. Finally, this was accompanied by a brst of light; Leon and Deranis saw that they were surrounded by almost fifteen Mandalorian warriors, all aiming their weapons at the two newcomers. From among them stepped a woman in armor of durasteel gray. Her helmet was connected to her armor by black tubes feeding her purified oxygen.

The gray armored Mandalorian held up her open right hand and the blasters trained on Leon and Deranis fell, though all were ready to bring them up at a moment's notice. As she came near, Deranis sighed and flung his weapon over his shoulders, disarming. Something Leon did as well once he saw his crewman's body language. " _Olarom, Ord'ika_!" she shouted, holding her arms up and approaching Deranis. Her voice was heavily modulated, with only a slight feminine twang and the deference of the Mandalorians around her giving away that this was a woman – Mandalore. The Echani sighed and clasped her in a hug. _"Aa'durni?"_

Deranis fidgeted uncomfortably. " _N'eparavu takisit, Buir'ner,_ " he said with a slight bow.

"Mandalore," Leon said upon hearing this, slamming his hand to his chest and bowing slightly to the masked woman. Her mask turned slowly towards him. " _Gar vaabir ni ijaat_."

"And he even tries to stumble through _Mando'a_ ," Failyn Ordo said with a laugh.

"You said it was good!" Leon snapped at his crewman.

"I said for a _wermo_ ," Deranis chastised offhandedly. He returned his attention to the still masked Ordo. "You called this meeting, Mother. What is it you want?"

"I can't want to make sure my son isn't dead?" Ordo asked as she unlatched the tubes from her mask. The air around her depressurized as she unlatched her helmet and pulled it off. She had auburn hair cut in a short, military style that revealed her plain features. Scars crisscrossed her pale face, testaments to hard won battles that came with the experience and wit that shone out from her deep brown eyes. As far as her looks went, she could not have been less like her son. Her voice, when she spoke free of the heavy modulators of her mask, was light and musical. "Oh, _Ord'ika_ , do you really think so little of me?"

"You told me to think of one exactly as they are, Mother," Deranis responded simply. He narrowed his eyes on the woman. "So, what is it that you want?"

Mandalore stared at her son angrily for a moment. Then laughed and slammed her open palm into her son's chest. "Ha, I suppose I did," she laughed. She sighed and shrugged before turning to Leon. "I called you here for him."

"Ever the doting mother," Deranis remarked.

"You despise attention. It's why you hated your father until after -"

"You killed him," Deranis finished, his voice a low and dangerous.

"It was a duel, _Ord'ika,_ " Mandalore snapped at her son, her eyes set hard. "My honor demanded that I accept Jeard's challenge and his demanded that he follow the commands of his _damn_ Queens. It became an inevitability after what happened during the Conflicts. And your father, he died being the man I loved. And that was a stain, loving an Echani. That I still love him remains one as well, during the Clan meets."

Deranis did not respond to his mother, just glaring at her with a level of rage that would terrify a Sith Lord. Failyn returned her attention to Leon and sighed. "Sorry. Mandalorians don't usually let our emotions get the better of us. Forgive our outburst, Revan," she said with a light bow to the Exile.

"I'm – I don't..."

"Remember everything? Obviously not. The Revan I knew could speak _Mando_ fluently. Recited our poetry beautifully," Failyn responded. She reached out a hand to grab Leon's jaw. "And you do not have the same scars."

"You saw his face?" Leon asked, surprised. Revan had let few know him after his Fall.

"Of course. He was a friend," Failyn noted. She frowned. "As I said, you lack his scars. But you'll do, given the circumstances."

"What circumstances?" Leon asked, his confusion only growing.

Failyn laughed. "And you certainly lack his confidence and intelligence, those those can be learned. All in all, you'll make an... acceptable Emperor. Once the time comes, of course."

"You want Leon to be the Emperor?" Deranis asked Mandalore. "Since when did the Clans care about the state of politics?"

"Since the galaxy is facing a bigger crisis than a war between two governments. Revan created the Empire for more reasons than his vengeance and thirst for power. It is only right that he sit on its throne when the end of the war finally comes and the preparations for what is coming are to be made," Mandalore explained, looking back over at Leon as she did. "For the real threat he told me about."

Leon flinched as an image flashed through his mind. Rows of sharp, evil looking teeth and black, pitiless eyes similar to those of a firaxan shark's with bloodlust dripping from the cruel, terrible facsimile of a grin plastered to the creature's face. Evil. "The... the machine," he muttered. He turned to Deranis. "On Kashyyyk."

"The Star Map," Deranis finished for his friend. He frowned. "You think that whatever made it is -"

"The walls barring Revan's sight fracture further beneath the weight of this galaxy's troubles," Failyn Ordo noted quietly. She looked up at the 'sky.' "Your allies in the Triumvirate will find nothing. The Emperor has already had all the sites upon which a Star Map could be found bombed after all data was transmitted to Kaas City. He will soon find the weapon, and he will go to it the moment he does." She looked back down, smiling at Leon. "But we intercepted it. Hand it over tot he Triumvirate, or use that droid of yours to sift through the files. Do as you will, Lord Revan." She gave one last look at her son. " _Kar'taylir darasuum, Ord'ika_."

Deranis sighed and nodded. " _Kar'taylir darasuum, Mandalore_."

Failyn smiled sadly and returned her helmet to her head, then turned back to Leon. She slammed one hand over her heart and shouted, "When you finally remember your destiny, our _Bes'alisks_ will be at your call! _Kote at Revanche!"_ The shout was soon echoed by the dissonant voices of the surrounding Mandalorians. " _Kote at Revanche! Kote at Revanche!_ "

"Glory to Revan," Deranis muttered in agreement, leaving Leon to feel hollow with every syllable that rang out around him. Every word drove home the emptiness, the knowledge that he was no longer Leon – that he _never was,_ not to these people at least. No. To the galaxy, to everyone who had ever known him, even those who had known him before this discovery, he was merely the ultimate figurehead to be used as a pawn in their war. He was the masked Sith who haunted his nightmares. He was a hollow shell built to contain a man whose time had passed and somehow come again.

SWSWSWSWSW

Mandalore – eight months prior to Revan's Death

This was one of the few moments in which Darth Revan could remove his mask and appreciate the thin thread of life that still connected him to the man who he kept failing to kill. It was those rare moments in which Theron Fel was able to exist that replenished the Sith Lord's sanity and allowed him to focus on why he was doing what he was doing, why he was willing to unleash the atrocities he had let loose upon the galaxy. It was only with a few people that he could allow his mask to slide from his face, both literally and figuratively. One of which was the great leader of Mandalore herself, the aptly titled Mandalore. She understood his pain, given how her own position required she rarely remove her own helmet and to cast off most connections to her former life, save those bonds of family the Mandalorians valued almost as much as honor itself.

Revan took a slow sip of his Mandalorian Fire Whiskey, earning yet another small chuckle from Failyn. "Not everyone can handle something this potent at all, Failyn," the Sith Lord muttered as he placed the cup down on the table between them. His mask was placed off to the side, easily within arm's reach. Even with those few he numbered as friends, he knew to always remain prepared for battle or betrayal. Beside it was Failyn's helm, part token of her respect and part threat of her own power. Such was a meeting between two warmongers.

"My son could drink you under the table when he was a child," Mandalore scoffed, earning an annoyed glare from the warrior. She was one of the few he would let treat him so casually. Which, actually, was one of the reasons he had found himself present that day on Mandalore. She noticed. "Your eyebrows are scrunching together, _Revanche_. You obviously aren't here for me to laugh at how little liquor you can handle."

"No, though I certainly enjoy that aspect of this visit," the Sith Emperor said, leaning forward and clasping his hands in front of him. "Your people are among the greatest warriors in the galaxy. Your weapons development and war droid engineers are parsecs beyond anyone else."

"The Echani can give us a run for our creds," the woman noted sadly. She shrugged and cheered up. "So? Is the war not going as well as my scouts tell me?"

Revan laughed dryly. "No, the war against the Triumvirate is ramping up quite nicely. I fully expect to conquer them within ten months," he explained. He shook his head. "That War is not the reason I came to speak with you today, Failyn."

"This isn't going to be more _Jetti_ shit, is it?" the leader of the Mandalorians asked, leaning back and growling. "You know I have little patience for your attempts to claim the real war is in gathering the strongest _Jetti_ to your side."

"I don't even believe something as simplistic as that," Revan responded calmly. He shook his head again. "No. This War is merely a preparation for something much worse that comes our way." Ordo cocked her head to the side, much more interested than she had been moments before. "Before my betrayal, I contracted an... infection of sorts in the Force. It was incredibly dangerous, a hunger that could not be sated by all life in the galaxy. One I have only felt again when using the Forge."

"So it is real," Failyn said, eyes widening. "The impossible shipyard. And you say it uses the Force?"

"It recycles the energy to generate mass. I have hidden it away, limited its use in order to prevent it from doing what it once did millennia ago when it nearly exterminated its creators," he explained. He reached into his pocket and removed a simple hologram emitter. He placed it onto the table and it ignited furiously. Floating between Failyn Ordo and Darth Revan was a machine long dead – the Star Forge.

"Mandalore the Preserver's coat of arms," she breathed. She looked up at the heavy eyes of Revan. "My ancestor, a Mandalorian named Canderous Ordo. He traveled with your namesake... countless millennia ago. All that remains of him is... whispers and rumor. His name was nearly forgotten by all, save our Clan. Legends say he traveled with the Revanchist and found a tool of ultimate evil. You can't be using this."

"Not lightly. And rarely, as I said. It grew from slightly larger than me to its full specifications since I started using it for the war. It cannot be trusted," Leon muttered, placing his hand over the emitter and shutting it off. He pocketed the machine. "You are one of the few people in whom I can place my trust, Failyn. Because of your honor, if not your loyalty during this war, I feel a need to bring you in on this."

"And my shipyards don't hurt either."

Revan scoffed. "Indeed," he noted. "The creators of the Star Forge were a bloodthirsty race steeped in the Dark Side in a way that the Sith of today do not comprehend. And, despite history's insistence, they are not nearly as extinct as we would hope."

Mandalore's eyes widened imperceptibly and her blood began to heat in her veins. War had always called to her, even before she had fully understood what it was to be Mandalorian. "And they're coming back," she finished, a small grin appearing on her face. Revan laughed softly at the Mandalorian. "You want me to develop more weapons. Ones to be used against things designed by the Forge."

"Ones that will only see the light of the galaxy once this war has ended," Revan replied. He grabbed his Fire Whiskey and leaned back in his chair. "I suspect you can be trusted to deliver the results necessary, Failyn."

" _Kote!"_ Mandalore shouted instead, raising her glass and shouting joyously as news of this new war against a more worthy foe met her ears.

Revan nodded and stood with her. " _Kote!_ " he agreed. He raised his glass to hers in toast, then downed the rest of the Fire Whiskey in a single gulp. "That wasn't so -" He fell immediately face first onto the table.

"My son really could drink you under the table when he was a boy," Failyn muttered as she picked up the bottle of Fire Whiskey and drank the remaining fluid. She sighed and sat down again, finally feeling a slight buzz. " _Wermo_ lightweight."


	40. Attack on the Exile

Leon stood in the cargo bay of the _Eagle_ with Artoo, going through the additional programming being prepared for HK-i's upgraded combat matrix. "No, the motorized joints I have coming in have a possible point oh five seconds reaction time if the programming is efficient enough." Artoo whistled back at the Exile angrily. "No, I'm not asking you to delete the target scanning routine, Artoo. Still, even with the point oh two seconds that routine takes up, we're still over. The programming must be repeating something... Maybe see if the scanner is checking the same targets multiple times in a simulation. It's the only thing I can think of that we're missing." Leon then returned his attention to upgrading the space for hidden weapons in the main chassis. So far, he could only fit a fold up blaster rifle and two pistols in the main body, with a vibroblade and lightsaber in either arm. He needed more space for heavy armaments if this droid was going to be as powerful as he wanted it to be. Artoo whistled and beeped again. "Really? _Kark_... maybe it's a storage thing. If it's full, delete Huttese and Shyriiwook. I understand those two well enough that I don't need a translator. You know what, go with Mon Cal, too. Most of them learn Basic instead by now."

"So, this is where you are," a woman's voice said. Leon looked up at Ana, leaning against the doorway. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her eyes, returned now to their original green, were fixed on Leon's droid. "Why would you want an assassin droid?"

"Gut feeling I'll need it. And I feel like I had the idea already," Leon said, returning his attention to the droid. He went silent, hoping that the Jedi would leave.

"I thought you were joking when you said that," she said. Leon froze at the reference to his clone source and the dead man's slowly returning memories and personality. "Ah, I'm... I'm sorry. I forgot that..."

"I look the same as him. _That_ isn't your fault," Leon said before returning to his work. If he just kept working she'd leave. No one would just stay put and keep talking to someone who was ignoring them, right?

Wrong.

"What have you been doing all month? Working on the droid?"

Leon sighed and tossed his hydrospanner to the side of the workbench. Obviously, she wasn't going to leave until she satisfied her curiosity. Or he told her to leave. "Go away," he commanded, fists trembling at his sides. The Jedi just met his gaze and ignored his command. "I don't want to be around the person who started all this. I already have to deal with Revan running around in my head, whispering about vengeance and betrayal every five minutes. I don't need your voice interrupting me, too."

"Honestly, I don't give a _kriff_ what you want," Ana responded without moving. She just stared at Leon with infuriatingly emotionless eyes, their gaze locked onto his.

"She's gotten better at hiding her thoughts," Revan remarked from beside Leon. The Exile didn't turn to look at him as he spoke. "Hm... but not perfect. Ask her about her last night with me. It goes through her mind every time she sees your face, Leon."

The Exile shoved that idea from his mind. "So you're just here to make sure I don't go off the rails and kill anyone?" Leon mocked. He laughed and threw up his hands, causing the woman to move forward a step and place a hand on her lightsaber. Leon laughed again and kicked the workbench. "I have no use for killing anyone here. Not when it would risk Mari."

"So you're doing this all for a woman," Ana noted, leaning against the wall again. She shrugged. "I guess you're better than Revan ever was." Her face fell and grew pained in memory. "Vengeance came first for him."

"... She's not completely wrong," the Sith Lord admitted, his red eyes steely. The Sith sighed, then walked over to stare at Ana's face, eyes softening. "Though I almost gave into that weakness many times. She almost destroyed me merely through her existence. I hated her because even at the height of my rage, when my power spanned nearly the entire galaxy... I still loved her. You should remember that is not an easily forgotten curse, love. You must kill it every moment of your life in order to remain strong." Revan reached out slowly and let his hand pass through Ana's face and something seemed to break then harden in him before he faded away.

Leon looked down. "Thank you, Ana," he said calmly. He looked back up, rubbing his palm against his eye as tears had begun to well in it. "But that doesn't help me stay alive, does it? I don't remember my... 'father's' name or my 'mother's' face anymore."

"Leon, you existed – you _exist_ – regardless of whether you are going to remain," Ana assured as she walked over and placed her hand on the clone's shoulder, pulling him in for a comforting hug. "I'm sorry that it's like this. The Galaxy is rarely kind to those who have the power to change things, and you have more than enough to do so." She pushed the swaying exile to arm's length. "I believe in you, no matter what."

Leon didn't respond, instead reaching up and clutching at the side of his head. "Did you... did you feel that?" he asked, stumbling backwards and shutting his eyes in pain. "Ugh... Is that..?"

"What?" Ana asked, gripping her sabers slowly.

"Something's here," Leon muttered. His eyes widened and he reached for his own weapon, only to hit air when he forgot it had been confiscated as soon as he'd come back from his meeting with Mandalore. "Damn. I think Sith are here."

Ana grew serious and ignited her weapons. She knew he wasn't lying; Leon and Revan had the same tells, and she hadn't noticed any of them. After a moment's hesitation, she tossed the white blade to Leon, who caught it clumsily. It failed to glow brighter in his hand, causing Ana to smile sadly internally. To the exile, she was still business, saying, "Where are the Sith?"

"I really hoped she'd think he was lying," a third voice said. "Damn. Guess I owe you twenty creds." After a moment, a pair of black robed figures melted from the shadows and an oppressive, dark aura began to permeate the room. There was a sudden and loud _snap-hiss_ as a pair of red lightsabers erupted in the shadows. The two warriors were known as Sith Assassins, easily recognized by their skull like masks and inherent ability to hide their signature from the Force, save from the most powerful Force wielders. Both were well beneath two meters tall and seemed to be far too skinny for their robes and armor. That didn't stop either of them from oozing pure malice.

Leon raised his borrowed weapon slowly and readied for a fight. The two assassins laughed. "You fight us, we'll be forced to kill the two inside after we kill you," the second one said. This one had a Rodian's voice.

It was Leon and Ana's turn to laugh. "Artoo, could you take notes for HK-i's programming?" Leon suggested, causing the droid to whistle and whoop enthusiastically. Leon grinned and glared at the assassins, hungry for battle. "I've been looking for something to take my anger out on. Congratulations on winning the contest."

Then Leon jumped forward, slashing at the Rodian's head and letting Ana deal with the other. He delivered a sharp kick to his opponent's chest, sending the Sith flying down the ramp of the Eagle and onto the landing pad outside. Leon ran down after the assassin, easily deflecting the incoming lightsaber throw with a flick of his wrist and a jump off of the ramp. Leon rolled to his feet, lightsaber sizzling in the rain "Okay, you want to die under a rainy sky? I suppose I can gift even a pathetic traitor with that much!"

"Did you not hear _all_ of our conversation?" Leon asked, sidestepping an incoming stab and batting it away before pressing his advantage, each attack a test that was met by the assassin's red blade.

"Ugh, you Light siders and your 'love and belief.'" The Sith ducked beneath Leon's next attack and grabbed the Exile's saber hand. Leon did the same to the Sith and the two fought for dominance. The Sith continued speaking, "I would have said get a room, but you already had one."

Leon scoffed, deciding not to dignify that with a reply. He kneed the Sith in the gut, allowing the two to separate and reset their duel. "I'm going to enjoy killing you, _Schutta_ ," Leon growled, swinging his borrowed weapon out to his right side. He and the Sith began circling each other, neither willing to instigate the battle at that moment. From within the ship, the sounds of lightsaber combat could be clearly heard, the shocks of blade on blade echoing through the enclosed space and into the no fly region of the Senate tower.

Leon eventually decided upon making the first move, dashing forward in a zig zag path to attack the Sith Assassin until their blades met in front of both of their faces as they pushed against one another. Leon disengaged a moment later, jumping out of the killer's path and letting him stumble forward. Then he jabbed at the Rodian's back, the white blade sizzling in the water as it approached the Sith's lower vertebrae. The assassin twisted at the last moment, the blade passing harmlessly through the flowing robes as he spun away from Leon and they circled once again.

This time, it was the Sith who began the fight, slashing wildly at Leon in an attempt to find any weakness in the Exile's defense that he could. Smirking internally, Leon allowed himself to be driven backwards, towards the edge of the landing pad. At first, he allowed it to be a slow advance to let the Sith believe he was approaching victory, which caused the Sith to redouble his efforts and lose any semblance of grace or skill that remained. Leon began to retreat faster, his blade always in place to deflect and redirect the incoming red saber.

Soon, Leon felt the heel of his left foot hit empty air, and he suddenly let his smile extend to his face. He let the Sith lunge at him again, but instead of blocking the attack, Leon jumped right over it and the Sith. With the Force, he redirected the blade downward, causing the Rodian to slice cleanly through his own foot. The assassin screamed in pain as his toes were vaporized and began to teeter towards the edge of the endless fall. "You don't get to die just yet, Assassin," Leon said, grabbing hold of the Sith's hood and simultaneously slicing through the Sith's saber arm. There was another shriek of pain and the deactivating lightsaber plummeted into the depths far below. "After all, there's so much you can tell me and my new... well, I don't want to say _friends_. My new... well, I don't want to say _allies_... Enemies of my enemy, then."

"I won't tell you anything," the Sith snarled, voice high from pain.

Leon grunted. "You know what?" he asked before leaning in to the side of the hood. "I believe you." Then he let go of the Sith's hood and the Rodian began to fall forward again.

"Wait! Th-there are other Assassins in your quarters!" the Rodian cried out as he fought to keep his balance. "Mercy!"

"What do you know? I shouldn't have believed you," Leon said. Then he raised his arm and grabbed the hood again.

"Thank you..." the Sith sighed as his balance returned. He breathed a sigh of relief and clutched with his good hand at his heart. "Oh, Sithspit. Thank you. Thank you for -"

"For what? Mercy?" Leon asked before shoving his hand forward. The Rodian screamed as his weight went fully over the edge and he began to follow his weapon towards the surface of Coruscant. "I'm a Sith, too."

"No!" the Sith screamed to the pitiless Leon far above. He watched the assassin fall for a moment with disinterested eyes. Then he turned around and walked past the ship just as the other assassin's skull bounced down the ramp.

"Where are you heading?" Ana asked as she followed it down. She turned and began to walk shoulder to shoulder with Leon.

"Mine said there are two more in our quarters. I'm going to deal with them," Leon responded. He slammed his palm into the turbolift controls then raised comms to Deranis and Cade, hoping they had them on them. "Guys, check the shadows." Then he cut it off. Either they got the message or they didn't; there was no point in needlessly worrying. The turbolift arrived after a moment, and the two lightsaber wielding warriors entered calmly. Leon punched the button for their floor and the two waited in silence.

"I'll take Cade's room," Ana said after a moment. "He tolerates me, at least."

"Then I'll take Deranis'" Leon said as the doors slid open slowly. He walked out slowly, the cool air of the war room causing his soaking form to shiver. He ignored the cold and pressed on, moving towards the room where the Echani had taken up residence. He quickly kicked down the door and raised his saber defensively.

"Oh, thank the Force it isn't the Jedi," Deranis said, standing in the center of the room with his hands on top of his head. There was a quiet, albeit threatening thrum and a red glow behind him that turned the Echani's hair the color of blood. A large, hooded figure stood behind him. "If it was her, I was just going to jump onto the blade rather than owe her anything."

"You're far too talkative for an Echani," the Sith grunted behind Deranis. "You – Traitor. Surrender or this fool dies."

Leon blinked once, then lazily turned his gaze on his ally. "Do you trust me, Deranis?" he asked, voice a threatening growl as he deactivated his saber.

"I swore my honor to you," the Echani responded simply, standing straighter and waiting for Leon's response.

Leon nodded. "Good." He raised his hands and summoned twin storms of white-purple lightning to his hands. The energy lanced out from his outstretched palms, right towards Deranis' head. The Echani did not flinch as the deadly energy approached him, the heat burning his face. Then, just before it touched him, the energy broke off and carved a path around his form to collide with the body of the Sith Assassin. The red lightsaber deactivated and flew into the air, crashing uselessly against the ceiling then felling to the ground as its owner was slowly cooked from the inside out. Leon stood still for a while, letting the energy fly from his hands until the muscles holding the corpse up liquefied and the empty, sizzling corpse fell to the floor behind Deranis. Then, and only then, did he let the stream of lightning disappear. "I would not fail an ally," he told Deranis, who had not moved the entire time, not even flinching from the display. The Echani's skin was reddened by the heat of the attack, making him look funny to Leon, his white hair contrasting against his bright pink and red face.

"Why are you laughing?" Deranis asked as Leon snickered and covered his face. "Leon? Leon!"

SWSWSWSWSW

Leon's sleep that night was a troubled and restless one, filled with visions of destruction and death. The one that stuck out the most to him took place in a long, dark hallway. He ran down it, his black saber in hand, searching desperately for... something. He opened door after door, finding nothing. The pattern continued to repeat, with the young man sprinting a few steps, then kicking open a door, then cursing to himself, then finally running off again. His sleeping mind could even tell he was getting nowhere like this.

That all changed, however, when he came to a door at the end of the hallway. It was taller and more ornate than the others, with blue and red engravings running down its durasteel face. From within, Leon could feel an intense aura radiating towards him. It smelled of destiny: what he sought was beyond those doors. With a tentative movement, he reached out his hand. The doors groaned and shrieked as they began to open of their own accord, slowly parting. From the crack rushed the scent of doom and pain, as well as bright scarlet. Leon shielded his eyes until the light died down before him, at which point he could see a figure garbed entirely in black standing at the center of a gray and white room. There was a double bladed saber ignited in the figure's right hand that made the shadows beneath the figure's hood deeper still. Beneath one of its robed arms was a cruel, clawed robotic prosthetic.

Leon woke in a cold sweat, the sheets of his room sticking to his flesh. He wondered for a moment where he was, running one hand through his hair, which was soaked through as well. He looked around for someone attacking him, instead only seeing the darkness. It had been a few days since the assassination attempt had been made, lending Leon the idea that it had been the direct cause for this dark feeling echoing through his mind.

After another few minutes of trying to calm himself down, Leon finally laid himself down and stared at the ceiling. He shut his eyes tight after a moment, remembering the bloody saber from his nightmare, or perhaps vision. Who was the figure? "Don't try and pretend you don't know, Leon," Revan said, appearing behind Leon's eyelids. He smirked at the warrior, who grunted in annoyance. The Sith could appear anywhere now? "I am in your mind, Leon. My mind. That doesn't matter, though. What matters is I will _love_ saying that I told you so."


	41. Setting Down on Kaas

Leon sat deathly still, strapped into his seat in the Eagle's main room. Despite the fire roiling in his gut and the fear echoing through his mind, he remained completely placid. He would not allow himself to become distracted by anything, so he had started to repeat a mantra in his mind: _Find the prisoner. Find Mari. Get out. Find the prisoner. Find Mari. Get out._ He was beginning to understand why the Jedi were so devoted to meditation, as the mantra was quickly calming him down, but it was never enough to completely shove the worry from his mind.

Dromuund Kaas was the capital world of the Sith Empire, deep behind countless fleets each with innumerable ships and soldiers. To top it off, the planet itself was guarded by, perhaps, the single most powerful ship in the entire Imperial Armada. The Emperor's flagship, which had not left the planet for just under a month, was a massive beast of a ship and most likely a creation of the Forge. _The Krayt Dragon_ flew at the size of a large city, with enough sheer fire power to decimate a half dozen of the Triumvirate's best ships all on its own and the personnel and droids to man every station and ship two and a half times over and still have people left over for boarding parties and internal defense.

But, they had gotten _incredibly_ lucky. _The Krayt Dragon_ , as well as the fleet that constantly escorted it, had decided that a battle over Balmorra had grown just interesting enough for the Emperor to want to take part in it personally. The best that Ana and Admiral Taas figured, the fleet would be gone for at least four days. The efforts to avoid the myriad of fleets between Coruscant and Kaas would take nearly two days, and the plan to enter the prison in Kaas City was already complete. Leon, Ana, Cade, and Deranis would have ample time to break in and find their targets while Artoo kept the ship warm.

"So we're all good with the plan?" Ana asked, breaking Leon from his reverie. She was sitting in the seat across from him, strapped in with her own crash webbing. She had her hands lightly atop her weapons, as if ready to be attacked before they even arrived.

"People only ask that when they want to repeat the plan," Deranis remarked gruffly. This earned an embarrassed growl from the Jedi, but little else. "So just repeat the plan." Cade laughed caustically at that, only stopping when the ship suddenly pitched sideways. They'd entered Kaas' atmosphere.

"We'll be approaching the prison using the drive that was installed by Nernyn shortly after my capture. Triumvirate scientists have found that it not only short circuits most hyperdrive engines, but it also plays hell with most short range sensors. And since the ship is almost a midnight black, we should be able to sneak in under the cover of night if we're even a tiny bit lucky," the Jedi woman explained. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat – they were starting to get cabin fever. "Deranis – you and I will enter at the shaft closest to the control room of the prison, at which point we'll direct Leon and Cade to the prisoner, and then to Marien."

Leon personally didn't like the order of things, but he more than understood them. There would be little to encourage him to rescue the prisoner once he had Marien safe, especially since he wasn't really thinking beyond that moment. "Are you sure this is what you want to do?" Revan asked from within Leon's head. "I know that you've felt it by now."

Leon shut his eyes and tried to ignore what the ghost in his mind was referring to. Leon was not stupid enough to say those cursed words: "I've got a _bad_ feeling about this." That did not, however, stop him from having a _bad_ feeling about this. The Dark Side presence on Dromuund Kaas was greater than almost anywhere else in the galaxy, with only certain parts of Korriban or the abandoned spires of Zakuul matching the intensely evil aura Vitiate had left behind more than four millennia prior. Leon knew that was not the only reason that his guts were twisting up, and his dreams leapt unbidden into his mind. For not the first time, he wondered if the Emperor had truly left his capital, especially given how new his new apprentice was. There had been next to no reports on the new right hand of the Sith Emperor, save that they often jumped between incredible cruelty and shocking mercy depending on who they were judging. Unknowns usually were bad for the integrity of a plan.

"Good thing Van isn't here," Revan muttered dryly.

"I'm glad Van isn't here," Ana said at the same time under her breath. Leon actually had to laugh at that, the noise a dry one. Their commander looked at him in confusion, one eyebrow raised.

"Just... Never mind," Leon said, the laughter disappearing as he realized it was Revan who had laughed, not him. There was a series of loud whoops from the cockpit and the turbulence intensified. They were almost to the prison.

When the ship came to a stop, the entire group unbuckled their crash webbing. "Positions," Ana commanded, standing up first and walking towards the slowly opening cargo ramp. Everyone followed her, Leon earning a cruel grin from Revan as he did.

The world of Dromuund Kaas was one where it was almost perpetually drizzling, with powerful, angry winds buffeting everything in its path. The ship would creak, groan, and shake as Artoo stabilized it between every burst, but the warriors within were able to keep their balance. "Comm check. All ready?" Ana asked over comms. She got various grunts of affirmation from the three men in the ship. She looked over at Leon, unclipping one of the blades from her hip. "Stay safe." Then she turned around and grabbed Deranis, despite his protests. She gathered the force in her legs and soon soared through the air, orange saber in front of her. The cover of the vent flew off a moment before she and Deranis disappeared into the shaft's abyss.

Leon and Cade watched the shaft silently, the wind and rain slamming into them even as far into the _Eagle_ as they were. Eventually, Artoo let the bay slide shut and took the Eagle lower to prevent it from being seen. It came to rest about two dozen meters below the ventilation shafts, its base scraping against the short, thick trees that dotted the jungle landscape dozens of miles from Kaas City itself. The ship continued to whistle as the wind hit it and rushed across its edges. "It's going to be... Well, I'm not going to lie and say there's nothing to worry about. But it'll be okay," Cade said after a moment.

"I'm sure it will," Leon replied hollowly, his voice betraying his worry.

"At least you have the sense not to say it out loud," Cade remarked of the cursed words. He laughed once. "More sense than I ever had at your age."

Leon wasn't really paying attention. "Hm," he grunted, counting the seconds until they received a call from Ana and Deranis telling them where to go. Cade seemed to understand that, and Leon remembered some of the stories about his adventures. He'd gone through a lot of the same things, back when he was stopping Krayt from destroying the galaxy, and had been just trying to help the younger man calm down. "Thanks, Cade. For not treating me different."

"I don't think you are different, Leon. I'd met Theron once or twice when I had business on Coruscant – not that he knew it was me – and he was a lot like you," Cade explained, his eyes shut as he leaned against the hallway wall. "You think you're losing yourself. I think Leon is Theron without all the baggage holding him down. You're the real you."

Leon considered that, but didn't respond. Instead, he shoved the conversation from his mind with the knowledge it didn't matter right at that moment. Instead, he should worry about the fact that his communicator had just beeped with a series of coordinates; so had Cade's. "You get that, Artoo?" Cade called, earning a sarcastic whistle. "Just checking buddy. Take us up." Artoo whistled caustically again. "Hey! Less lip, you rust bucket."

The ship began to slowly rise, the gravity beneath Leon's feet increasing for a moment before returning to normal; the rain slammed loudly into the hull, creating what sounded like an echo of stones hitting durasteel. After a few moments, the ship was near the ventilation shaft that Ana and Deranis had described. The doors slid open and Leon pulled up his hood over his head. With a flick of his wrist, his saber was in his hand and thrumming for battle. Cade followed suit and stood at the ready. "Go," Leon said just loud enough for Cade to hear, then he jumped from the ship and threw his hand forward and gathered the power of the Force. The cover to the vent, plasteel, imploded from the intense pressure on it and Leon landed with a small, painless roll. There was a quiet thud as Cade landed straight legged and slid across the plasteel floor beside Leon. They exchanged a glance before they activated their comms.

"We're in," Cade said, hand over his ear.

"Good. Get to the halls and we'll guide you to the first target," Ana said business like in both of their ears.

Leon nodded and Cade said, "Got it. Over." Then the two walked slowly into the most torture filled prison in the galaxy.

SWSWSWSWSW

Leon jumped just beyond the range of an incoming vibrosword, his weapon humming in his hand with a dark hunger for battle. Plasma crashed against metal as the Sith Special Forces guard lashed out at the invader. Leon caught the wrist of the warrior and thought on how familiar the entire situation was – a Triumvirate with a lightsaber there to kill Sith and steal information. He laughed caustically before burying his lightsaber in the head of the soldier and tossing the body into a group attacking Cade. The corpse slammed into the soldiers and they quickly gained lightsaber strikes from Cade for their troubles. The Jedi didn't kill any of them, instead going the Jedi way and only hurting them enough they could no longer fight. Leon did not see the mercy in maiming anyone, but he kept silent out of respect for his partner.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that," Leon said, raising his hand to his communicator. "We were sidetracked by some of our hosts."

"I said, take a right here and and you'll be straight away from the prisoner's cell," Ana said again.

"Any news yet on M-"

"Still looking," Deranis cut in. There was a low series of clicks on the other side of the line. "It might be a while."

Leon growled to himself, but grunted, "Fine. Tell me as soon as you can, Deranis."

"Stay on mission," Ana warned over the line before signing off.

Leon waited for her to say something more, but she didn't. Instead, Leon growled and glanced down the hallway that she had told him to head down. It was empty, with not a single guard or their heavy footsteps coming towards them. "Do you think it's been... too quiet?" Leon asked the elder Skywalker. Cade looked over at him with one white-yellow eyebrow raised. "That was the first group of guards we'd fought, and we're close to what is obviously the Triumvirate's biggest draw for attacking this place."

"It does seem a little light on the defenses," Cade agreed before walking down the hallway. Leon stood still for a moment, trying to figure out why this was, then shook his head and followed Cade with a grim frown plastered across his features. Nothing that was going on made any tactical sense for the Emperor. He was leaving them a path right for this mystery prisoner that they had just stolen, who was apparently important to the war efforts of Sith and Triumvirate alike.

Leon understood a moment later. Cade slammed to a stop in front of him to stare down a connecting hallway. Leon slid to a stop beside him and stared with the old man – sixteen guardsmen were all standing down the other hallway with their blasters pointed at the two. "What are they-" Leon grunted, more in surprise than pain, as a familiar tone sang in his mind. Without even a moment of doubt, he knew that these soldiers were there for him and only him. No blaster bolts came as they thought, and Leon knew they were waiting for him to make the first move. Goading him... because... "She's down there..."

Cade glanced over at the young man and was once again reminded of himself. And that familiarity told him that nothing they did to try and guide Leon into the Light – or the Dark, given what the young man had told them about Revan's remnant – would successfully craft the young man's Fate. The greatest forces in the universe could struggle to change the warrior's thoughts, but it would be in vain. He was a Skywalker – and a Shan to boot. Nothing existed that could guide him down a path, but given the magnitude of all his potential Fates, his Destiny would no doubt be great. Still, it would be the one of his choosing. "Go," Cade muttered as he shut off his comm for a moment. Leon looked over and followed suit, angry and confused. "What? Way I see it, even if we did promise to save this mysterious prisoner first, it was under duress. But be careful – whatever's down there, I doubt it'll be pretty. Go now, and you'll face it alone. Wait, and I can help you."

"What do you think I should do?" Leon asked as he raised his saber before him and readied to deflect blaster bolts that never came.

"Don't ask me, Kid. Thank the Force I don't have to make any _karking_ decisions anymore," Cade said with a chuckle. "This one's on you. But you'll make the right choice, whatever that is."

Leon glanced at the ground to consider his two options, then growled and reactivated his comm. As he took a few steps forward, he shouted a command into a private line. "Deranis. Shut the door between Cade and me, but don't tell Ana. Make sure Cade and our guest can get back to the Eagle, then give me twenty minutes 'fore you leave. If I'm not back, run."

The line crackled with the thoughts of a man unhappy with that plan. "Fine. Stay safe," the Echani gruffly demanded over the comms. Leon then shut it off and looked over his shoulder at Cade.

Just as the door separating the two hallways began to fall shut, Leon grinned and raised a thumb for the Jedi. Tentatively, he muttered, "See you soon, Coz." It was an attempt to acknowledge what he was, or rather who he was. And to thank him for letting him go.

Cade smiled grimly back at the young man, knowing what was waiting for him. Cade hoped beyond hope that what came next would not destroy the younger warrior, because his destruction would likely result in the destruction of an entire galaxy. "You too."

Then the door shut, and the last two Skywalkers were separated by another barrier.


	42. Before the Fall

**AN: Hello!**

 **To the Guest who last reviewed, thank you so much. Writing this with months between any sort of indication that someone liked the most recent chapter is... painful. That you reviewed really helped, so thanks again. It helped me realize that there are people who still enjoy this story. It's more of an irrational fear than anything.**

 **Anyways, I've been playing a lot of KOTOR and KOTOR2 recently to help me get in the Star Wars mood. Hope it at least partially shows.**

Leon dashed between different members of the Sith Special Forces trying to keep him from continuing down his path, effortlessly dodging blaster fire as he used his ignited lightsaber to deflect bolts and kill anyone he got close to. He made it within arms distance of a Duros who was shouting excitedly in his home language, then swept his saber to the side and the Duros went silent. The scent of burning intestines filled the air while the two halves of the humanoid's body thudded against the ground. Leon noted sadly, as he rolled beneath a volley of blaster shots and impaled another Sith on his blade, that this war had only truly started when Revan had died. Without the most powerful and intelligent Force User in the galaxy, the sides had become more even than either wanted to admit.

Which meant that, as the inheritor of all that power and intelligence – as well as arrogance and stupidity – Leon held the fate of the galaxy in his hands. He twisted and put the soldier's body in between him and the incoming blaster fire, deactivating his lightsaber and using the dead soldier's blaster to kill the last two members of the first group guarding his path to Mari. Which reminded the clone of Revan that he really didn't care which side of the Force won this battle – Dark or Light, Empire or Triumvirate. He wasn't Revan, because he would rather save someone he loved than decide the fate of everyone else. It hurt him to note that this would lead to a lot more death, but he was willing to sacrifice that for her.

" _What in the_ _ **karking**_ _galaxy are you doing, you sack of a bantha_ _ **schutta's**_ _poodoo!?_ "

Leon sighed and reactivated his saber, holding it defensively in front of him with one hand. Using the other, he turned down the volume so she wouldn't deafen him next time he did something to annoy her. So... immediately. "I think the term is sneaking around, but correct me if I'm wrong," Leon noted dryly before beginning to walk down the hallway. He waited for some tingle to tell him he needed to turn, but it didn't pop up. "Speaking of, loud and sneaking don't really mix."

"You sound awfully happy for someone in an Imperial prison!" the Jedi hissed. Deranis' gruff laughter came over the line after this, and Leon could almost _hear_ the disapproving scowl Ana had sent him.

Leon stopped. He _did_ feel better. "Well, that can only be bad news," the Force Adept muttered to himself half sarcastically. What he said was immediately followed by the sound of a stampede. "Right – that's too close to 'I've – ' Ah, almost said it." He groaned and gripped his weapon in both hands just as a battalion of troops rounded the corner and leveled their weapons at him. "At least none of them are lightsabers." Leon watched each of the soldiers deactivate the safeties on their weapons, each given away by the distinct _hum_ of a battery cell charging up. He sighed in silent thanks when no lightsabers ignited – thankfully, for once, his words weren't a bad luck charm.

"Leon, what the hell is going on now?" Ana growled. Leon ignored her and glanced between each of the soldiers, waiting to see which of them was going to attack him first. "Leon!"

"I'm busy!" he snapped, frightening one of the soldiers. A blaster bolt rocketed towards his head, causing the warrior to groan anxiously and forcing him to throw his body to the side. When he rolled to his feet, he lashed out with his free hand before bringing it back behind his defensive wall of plasma. While deflecting the bolts that threatened to hit him, a wall of Force energy shot forward and slammed into the wall of soldiers. The ones in front crashed into those behind them, creating a domino effect that knocked down those in the back.

After slapping away the last incoming blaster bolts, Leon deactivated his lightsaber and began to walk towards the Sith soldiers with both arms raised. After a short moment, the air around his outstretched palms began to crackle dangerously, white-purple electricity sparking between his fingers. It began as a drizzle, with lightning running through the bodies of the soldiers in the front row first and foremost. They screamed in pain as it bounced from body to body. Soon, however, it was a virtual torrent of Force Lightning that drowned all present in the hallway with the fiery embrace of death. Skin melted and flesh fell from bone as Leon advanced step by step, taking no joy in what he was doing. When he felt assured that none had survived the onslaught of his powers, he let his hands fall to his sides and his lightsaber reignite.

"Now, Ana, if you'll excuse me," Leon muttered over the Jedi woman's protests. He raised his hand to his ear and deactivated his commlink with a flick of his wrist. He gingerly stepped over the smoking husks of life that were the Sith soldiers, groaning when he heard a sickening crunch beneath his heel. Leon grit his teeth and kept moving. "I have someone waiting for me."

Leon continued to walk for a while, waiting for some sort of sign that he was traveling in the right direction. He crept further along, lightsaber's humming the only noise that followed him. When he reached the next crossroads, he felt something pull him subconsciously to his right. He followed the instinct cautiously, making sure that no third group of Sith Soldiers would be able to sneak up on him. They didn't, but a dead man did.

Revan, and he looked much better than usual. His skin was a warm tan that made him look more like Leon and less like a plague ridden Sith Lord, save for the shaggy mane of hair brushing against his shoulders. "Leon. It's been a while since I spoke to you."

"You told me to kill my friends last week," Leon muttered in exasperation. He glanced over at his mirror image walking in step with him and shot him a caustic glare. "I'm pretty sure that would qualify as speaking."

Revan glanced at the floor but said nothing for a moment, eyes analyzing the ground during each step. "Yes, I suppose I did," Revan grunted quietly. They continued in silence for a long while, taking turns every so often when Leon's connection to Marien tugged him a different direction. "You shouldn't trust me, Leon."

"Then I guess it's a good thing I already don't," Leon muttered before glancing around the next corner. It was clear. "Dammit, why is everything so quiet?"

"Leon!" Revan hissed. The clone growled and turned to the Force Ghost. Revan smiled sadly before turning to look at the doors at the end of the hall. It was ornately carved durasteel, with red and blue markings running along its face. It was the one from his dream. "Be careful, Leon. May the Force be with you." The Sith Lord smiled sadly and bowed before disappearing into thin air.

Leon walked up to the door and placed one hand on its ornately carved face, hand tracing down the metal's skin and along the carvings. "May the Force be with you," Leon whispered to himself, wondering what the hell the Force Ghost would be doing acting all nice and quiet. It wasn't normal. Unfortunately, Leon had to shove that from his mind as he placed one hand on either door. The air began to grow colder and he slowly pushed it open.

SWSWSWSWSW

Cade Skywalker watched the door slam shut between him and Leon, sadly knowing that the younger man had always been destined to stand alone against what awaited him. Cade had seen the same events play out in his own life, so seeing it happen to another was beyond surreal. It was like watching a Holo about Cade's life starring an actor who looked nothing like him, with small details changed just often enough to convince him it wasn't his life. It felt wrong, all of it.

"Mind telling me why we just did that?" Deranis inquired over the comms line. His voice was low and quiet; he was trying to keep Ana from overhearing their conversation. It wouldn't be too difficult to do so, as the woman could be overheard screaming bloody murder at Leon in the background of the call. "Because I'd rather not have that pent up Jedi anger aimed at me."

"Oh, that's going to happen no matter what you do," Cade cautioned through laughter. "I've seen my fair share of the stuff, and it doesn't slow down until they get what they want. Or until they hurt your feelings and you cry."

" _Osik_ ," Deranis grunted.

"You've really reconnected with your heritage recently. How is Failyn, by the way? Still plasma hot and durasteel cold?" Cade asked, only half serious as he did.

" _Shabuir_ ," Deranis grunted again, much to his future dismay.

"Maybe once or twice," Cade retorted. Deranis went quiet, thinking about how one would go about murdering one of the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy. "Okay, okay. That was decades ago anyways. Leon left to do what Leon came here to do."

"I hate that cryptic Jedi bullshit," Deranis hissed under his breath. "How did he even find Blue?"

"Cryptic Jedi bullshit," Cade responded. He smirked at the sigh of the middle aged Mandalorian-Echani and deactivated his Lightsaber; the further he got from the point where his and Leon's paths had diverged, the less danger he felt in the back of his mind. "He's connected to her. They probably slept together, that would explain what he's been seeing."

"Skywalker, what do you know?!" Deranis asked angrily.

"Did you know Revan keeps telling Leon to kill us? He thinks that he's Leon's teacher, that he needs to impart the wisdom that he learned through death. He says we're going to betray Leon," Cade explained slowly. He reached out with his mind, probing against the darkness in search for anyone that would be guarding his path. Either he wold be dealing with someone strong enough to resist a cursory glance from a Skywalker – which is close to a full blown search from any other Jedi – or everyone had been ordered to slow Leon's approach to the place where Marien was. "Worst part is that, maybe, he'd be right. In some ways. I know what he is going to face, and I'm not telling him. That's a betrayal, but he needs to see."

"What is he going to find at the end of that trail?" Deranis demanded, though he likely already knew the answer.

Cade ignored the question and continued walking. "I don't know if you'll betray him. There's a chance, but by then there might not even be a Leon left to betray. It might even be that he betrays you first," Cade muttered. He shut his eyes and pulled his saber from his hip with a sigh. He was close to the place where the prisoner was being held, and the Sith guarding the cell had made a mistake in their mental wall. "So. Which one are you? Darth Murder? Darth Stabber? I swear your names are getting less and less interesting with every Sith purge."

The figure in black robes melted out from the shadows, two lightsabers in hand. It was a male, almost two meters tall. His face was disguised by a black cloth mask that let only his burning yellow eyes remain visible. "I'm going to have to call you back," Cade growled to Deranis.

"Don't take too long," the half-Echani responded.

Cade shut off the comm and ignited his green weapon. The Sith followed suit, twin red blades erupting into being at either side. "Aren't you a little short to be a Skywalker?" the Sith asked mockingly.

"Wow. Haven't heard that one before," Cade said earnestly, keeping his blade out in front of him. "You should quit your day job. Become a comedian!"

"Maybe once this is all over," the Sith responded. His smirk appeared through his tight cloth mask, making him look more evil and ready to kill than before. "And, of course, once Revan has been dealt with."

Cade actually let his weapon fall slightly, but only for a moment. He raised it a half second later and narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"You're not nearly as good a liar as you'd think, Skywalker." The Sith moved to the side, and Cade turned in time with him. The Sith placed himself in the middle of the hallway down which Cade had to go. "Looking for Klou, are you? Well, the only use she had was luring you all here anyways. Everything useful she knew was changed back when Revan was Emperor, everything left over was pointless and kept the same to trap your Triumvirate."

"It's not mine. I thought it was a stupid idea," Cade explained, stalling to try and get information on the Sith's nature and battle style from his stance. The Sith had superior reach and double the weapons, which wasn't good for the Jedi. With that, there was the possibility of reinforcements appearing at any moment; normal soldiers may not be of much use against him, but as a distraction against a Sith they could be deadly. On the other hand, even a one hundred year old Skywalker was better than almost any Sith in the Force department. Depending on how much skill the Sith had with his twin blades, this battle might go either direction. "Empire, Jedi, GA. They'd been at odds even before Jacen Solo became Caedus. You couldn't make them just _karking_ play nice."

"You knew Revan would be created, didn't you?" the Sith asked. He laughed, intrigued by the conversation. He seemed willing to stall the fight for now.

"Not him specifically. But one group or the other was bound to do something stupid eventually," Cade explained. He narrowed his eyes and dashed forward just as the Sith's weapons dipped, tip of his green blade heading for the Sith's throat. The attack was caught between the two red blades centimeters from the Sith's face.

"Something like that?" the Sith asked, forcing the attack to one side and headbutting Cade. The Skywalker deactivated his saber and slammed his shoulder into the Sith as he leaned forward, using the Force to send him flying down the hall.

"No, something like what you did," Cade grinned. He reactivated his lightsaber and readied for another fight. The Sith landed a moment later and jumped right towards Cade, swinging both blades faster than most Jedi could block. Cade ducked beneath the first slash and forced the next one into the wall. There was a surprised shriek from the prisoner behind it as the lightsaber popped above their head.

Cade summoned the Force to his palm and brought it behind him, allowing periodic pulses to shoot from his hand. The Sith staggered backward after the first hit him, and thought that the attack was all there was. He ran right at Cade, eyes glinting with a desire for vengeance, and slammed head first into the next one. He fell backwards and slammed into the durasteel, weapons deactivating as their safety features kicked in. Cade took this opportunity and jumped at the prone Sith, lightsaber held backhand so he could bury it into the Sith's chest. His opponent, however, was quick enough to roll out of the way.

The Sith clipped his weapons to the black belt around his waist and raised his hands non threateningly. "Hey, hey! Come on, don't try and kill me. I just wanted to see what you were like. Otherwise I wouldn't have slipped up and let you find me," the Sith explained as he stood up. Cade ignored this and continued towards the Sith with weapon dragging against the wall as he walked.

"I was there when he died." Cade stopped at that one. The Sith smiled and nodded. "I was on the flagship, testing Gann, or Terova. Whatever she calls herself now."

"Testing her for what?" Cade asked. He didn't deactivate his weapon, still knowing this could be a trick.

"This, that. He was watching. Let her through when he saw... whatever it was he was looking for," the Sith smiled.

"The Dark Side."

"Probably. But the more interesting thing was that he made me the person responsible for his mask, the old and incredibly powerful one. Always had a contingency in place in case he didn't make it out," the Sith explained with a pseudo humble shrug. "That time he told me the girl was supposed to get it. 'Make sure the bitch gets the mask.' Well, I may have tuned down the cursing for your pure Jedi ears."

"He knew he was going to die," Cade whispered.

"A little. His life had a weird way paralleling his ancestor's. Like a holo," the Sith warrior explained. He laughed and crossed his arms. "And he wanted me to wait for him to come back. There's more than a few loyalists still waiting around for him. So, as a show of our... continued loyalty, take Klou. She won't hurt the Emperor when he returns. Word of warning, though, she's terrified of him. If she sees him, she'll probably try to kill herself." The Sith turned around and waved over his shoulder at Cade. "Two doors down on the left. I'd say 'Wear a rebreather,' but if the rumors are true you're probably immune to Zeltronian pheremones anyways."

"Who are you?" Cade asked as he walked to the door and prepared to crush the durasteel. "What do you want?"

"I was a Jedi. Now I'm a Revanchist. Enjoy the crazy one, but don't sleep with her." Then the Sith disappeared into the Darkness. "And make damn sure what _she's_ become doesn't break him. Betrayal was never something he dealt with very well."


	43. Darth Traya

The huge doors slid open slowly, creaking under their own heavy weight that hung on the thick, durasteel hinges. Every movement increased the weight of the foreboding terror that twisted his gut and dug into his mind. The Force energy around him shrieked and screamed within his mind, the full force of the Dark Side slamming into his psyche. He ignored it, despite the inherent danger with such a course of action, and continued to push the heavy doors open. He shut his eyes when the doors finally began to slide away from him of their own accord, something in him not wanting to see whatever it was that waited for him. When he finally knew that he couldn't wait any longer, the man opened his eyes and stared intently at his new surroundings.

The walls were deep black, with red symbols etched into them and giving off a light of pure hatred. It was a product of the Sith, the ancient ones of Korriban and Ziost with their half forgotten magic and desire to hunt down and murder any that opposed them. The light was almost... whispering to him, and Leon immediately felt like he had heard them before, in every moment of Revan's Dark monologues on betrayal and power.

At the center of the room was a figure clad in black robes, with deep red eyes peering out from behind a deep shadow cast by the Force and the hood of the cloak. The robes themselves were loose and coarse, dangling from the thin shoulders of the Sith, while the tunic beneath robes was a shiny black leather and pants that hugged the Sith's body and clearly revealed that it was a woman. A single Lightsaber was present in the right hand of the Sith, and the left one was curled into a fist that gave off dark purple sparks.

"I was wondering when you would come," the Sith said quietly, her voice barely reaching Leon's ears over the hissing of the holocron lights embedded in the walls. There was a loud _snap-hiss_ , and a red blade slowly slid out from its hilt at the Sith's side. In response, Leon unclipped his weapon from his belt and ignited the blade. The Sith didn't move, instead letting the lightsabers fill the silence with their quiet humming. "My master said that you would come to destroy me."

"If you're the one keeping Mari prisoner, then yes," Leon retorted, slowly turning his lightsaber so that it thrummed beside his ear with tip pointed at the Sith. "That is how this is going to happen."

"Mari? Is that one of the prisoners here?" the Sith asked. She hadn't moved at all since the doors had been opened, her red eyes just fixed on Leon and filled with anger, hate. Most interestingly, however, both of the red orbs were inundated with pure sympathy for the man. "If you are searching for someone here, Revan, they are either dead or insane. You have wasted your time in coming here." She turned slightly and held her lightsaber before her in both hands.

"I am not Revan!" Leon snapped, sprinting at the Sith woman and slashing out with his blade. The Sith woman sidestepped the attack and brought her blade overhead as she turned, the saber approaching Leon's neck. With a burst of speed that he did not even know he had, he laid his weapon across his back to deflect the blow. He stood up suddenly, and forced the woman away from him. He spun his weapon into his left hand to stab at the Sith. She parried the blow and lashed out with her free hand. Leon was thrown away by a concussive force, soaring through the air. There was another burst of energy, and the doors slammed shut behind Leon so that his body crashed into them and fell to the ground in a heap of black robes.

Leon pushed himself to his feet with a dazed look and reignited his blade, holding it up to fight against the Sith – of whom his blurry sight was currently seeing two. "Who are you?" he asked the Sith, who had returned to her place at the center of the room as if she had never moved. Her weapon burned, a quiet threat in her hand. When she did not attack him, Leon began to circle her so he could look for a way to kill her or to escape so he could try to find Mari. The Sith didn't pay him any attention and allowed him to stand behind her within striking distance. Leon frowned at how small a threat she perceived him to be, wondering whether it was just normal Sith arrogance or simply that she was that good. "Well?"

"I do seem to have you at a disadvantage," the woman responded in the same hoarse monotone as she had used the entire time. The tip of her saber drifted to the floor, and the scent of boiling durasteel slowly wafted into Leon's nostrils, causing him to crinkle his nose and squint in disgust. That was when the Sith made her move, spinning and jumping at him in a single, fluid move when his eyes nearly shut. Her saber slammed into Leon's before he could ready a defense, sending it soaring into the air until it fell into her outstretched hand. The black and red blades found themselves crossed in front of his neck, their low heat radiating against Leon's skin.

The man threw himself backwards with the aid of the Force, energy pulsating out from where his feet had just been. The pulse collided with the Sith's chest and the lightsabers both clattered against the ground. Leon dove for the nearest one, rolling to his feet and gripping the too long hilt in both hands. Twin red blades ignited on both ends of the hilt and Leon instinctively brought it around to rest across his back and arm with his free hand in front of him. The Sith stood up more slowly and summoned Leon's saber to her hand with a flick of her wrist. Leon didn't care about how much danger he was now in, however. The Sith's hood had fallen from her head, revealing what lay beneath.

The woman had no hair, though Leon could clearly tell that it was not because it had been shaved. While the burns that were accompanied by Sith Lightning were not present upon her scalp, the flesh of the woman was a much paler blue than her race usually was able to achieve. She did not even have eyebrows, likely melted off as well by the powerful streams of energy. Her eyes were the most stark contrast, somehow, with the arrogant – yet rightfully so – spark that had once been present replaced by cold anger and a lack of recognition. The rest of her was the same though. The same light curve of her nose, the same full lips, the same sharp chin.

"Mari?" Leon muttered quietly, letting his stolen weapon drop to hand limply at his side. He took a half step forward, a smile gracing his features for a moment. He realized that he had not felt a call to Mari since entering the room, but he still had to fight off the terror in his gut that this was a lie. "Mari, how – Is it really you?"

"As I said, if you seek someone here she is already dead or beyond saving," the woman repeated, a hint of sadness darkening her voice. It remained a raspy growl, full of pain. The deep circles beneath her eyes revealed why; she was beyond exhausted.

"He tortured you," Leon muttered, continuing to advance on the woman. He deactivated the lightsaber in his hand and reached out for her. The saber flashed just beyond his reach, and he stumbled backwards instinctively. "I'll kill him for this."

"My master warned me that you would speak lies," Mari responded with a blank stare, twirling the lightsaber in her right hand before charging at Leon. He raised the double saber hurriedly, barely blocking the incoming sweep. He took a step back, however, giving valuable ground to the Sith woman, but he couldn't do anything else. Leon merely continued blocking the attacks as best he could, not wanting to risk injuring the woman. "That you would try to invade my mind and make me believe them. It will not work on me."

"Mari! Mari, it's me!" Leon begged, rolling across the ground and coming to his feet out of her reach. "The Emperor, he must have done something to you! You have to remember me, Mari!"

"I see," the woman said, taking a step back and gazing sympathetically at Leon. She nodded. "I believe I killed this woman that you mention." Marien closed her eyes and focused intently on her deepest mind. When she opened her eyes, she spoke again, "If I remember her dying screams correctly, then you were incredibly important to her."

"I _am_ ," Leon retorted resolutely. He swept his open hand across his chest in denial of what the woman was telling him."Mari -"

"Which means that Lord Nernyn has sent you to me in order to sever those final ties," the woman interjected, raising her left hand and summoning sparks to them once more. "It will be a mercy, will it not? Being with this woman you claim to love once more?" Lightning swarmed from Marien's outstretched hand, crackling and swimming over itself as it approached him. Leon raised both of his hands at the last moment, throwing up a wall of telekinetic energy that deflected the brunt of the attack's energy. However, it also resulted in an explosion of force that threw the man back into the double doors again.

"I'm getting real kriffing tired of those doors..." he hissed to himself while he jumped to his feet and ignited the double saber in front of him to intercept the next wave of energy.

It never came, however. The lightsaber's double handle was instead bisected by a black blade of plasma, the energy cell sparking and shorting out the red plasma on one end. Leon tossed the useless metal at Marien's head, the durasteel slapping against the side of her face. She flinched for a moment, which was enough time for Leon – forcing his fear for the woman's well being to the side for a split second – to lance out with the red plasma blade. The lightsaber flashed and there was a sudden sizzle as the lightweight prosthesis of Mari was sliced cleanly through. The artificial nerves in the wiring sent intense pain to the woman's brain as they overloaded, and she dropped Leon's saber instinctively. He grabbed it in his own off hand and leveled both sabers at Mari. "You're coming with me, Mari," Leon growled in hope that having both weapons would influence her.

"No. No, I don't believe so." A small door o the opposite side of the large room slid slowly open to reveal an all too familiar form – Emperor of the Sith Nernyn. He took a few steps forward and clasped his hands at the small of his back. "Surprised to see me, Revan? My flagship is half a galaxy away, after all. I should be with it."

Leon took a step backwards, his back hitting the doors yet again – he growled internally with annoyance despite the intense fear running through his body – and forcing him to a stop. "What the _kriff_ are you doing here?" Leon breathed, his mind vainly struggling to escape though it was impossible. "You -"

"Yes, I just covered this, Revan," Nernyn interjected. He shook his head, bored with the way things were going. "I swear, you haven't been yourself lately." Nernyn smiled evilly. "Now, Apprentice, return to my side."

The Chiss turned and began to walk to her new master. "Mari! No! You – You can come back with me! You don't have to stay here," Leon begged. He dropped the red lightsaber in his hand so he could step forward and grab the hood of her robes. Her momentum did not slow, the robe instead being dragged from her shoulders as she walked away from Leon. "Mari, please! I love you and I can't lose you again!"

That stopped the Sith in her tracks. "Come to me, Apprentice," Nernyn snarled again. A jolt of fear ran visibly up Mari's spine and she began to walk away again.

Leon, still clutching the robes she had been wearing, fell to his knees and dropped his lightsaber. He clutched the robe to his chest, the only thing close to an emotion that he could feel at that moment being the intensely hollow ringing in his chest and ears. "Mari, don't..."

Footsteps thudded against the ground before him and he looked up. Nernyn was smirking down at the warrior with an ignited ligthsaber dangling at his side, the mechanical servos in his hand whining as they tightened at the same rate as his jaw. He was barely containing his hatred for the kneeling man. "She is mine now."

Leon looked up and his vision became a deep red. "No. She's not," he yelled. He swept his hands apart across his chest and a massive explosion of Force energy slammed into everything surrounding Leon. The world for the Sith Emperor turned black as rubble and dust filled the air.

When the air cleared, perhaps only moments later, Leon was gone and the massive durasteel doors behind him had been bent outward. Nernyn stood up, nursing his crippled prosthetic limb. "Damn," he hissed to himself, knowing that Leon was now far beyond his reach. Worse still, there was no way for him to lure his former master out again to kill one on one. Which, unfortunately, meant that the most dangerous threat to Nernyn's plans was now free and loose in the galaxy. Even this most recent shattering of his psyche would do little to deter Revan's clone: Revan had the annoying ability to grow stronger no matter the pain.

Then this was going to force the Emperor's hand. He had discerned the location of the Foundry months ago and had been trying to circumvent the traps his master had lain to prevent him from approaching. Now, however, he simply had to use power to break through. "Traya, get your arm fixed and ready our fastest ship for transport to Entralla. It is time for this to end." Darth Traya did not move, instead fixing her faze on the ground at her feet. Nernyn let her for a moment. "What is wrong?"

"I know him."

Nernyn laughed mockingly at that statement. "No. No, you never knew him, Traya. The dead woman, the woman you killed. She knew him," the Emperor explained, casting a dismissive wave over his shoulder. "Any recognition of him must be an echo of her mind, cast about and linked to yours. It is your duty as a Sith to overcome such silly notions as compassion for him. Those feelings belonged to both a weaker woman and a fool. You are above them, Apprentice."

"No, Master, I believe that _I_ know him," the Chiss repeated, her voice tinged with pain. Her good hand rose to her forehead and the pain echoed across her features. "He is..."

"The one who is trying to destroy my Empire, Apprentice, and everything in it. Now that he knows of you, he will stop at nothing to kill you so he might hurt me. And if he believes you to be this woman, then you are perhaps even less safe than is he knew the truth – Revan betrays and destroys everything he claims to cherish. For now he is confused; use that as a weapon."

"But he -"

"This is your final test. Kill him. You know what I do to those who disappoint me." He glanced over his shoulder, yellow eyes glowing with rage as they locked onto the woman's downcast face. "Do not disappoint me."

SWSWSWSWSW

Leon just kept sprinting down the halls, ignoring the shouts of inquiry that continued in his ear. Deranis was screaming at him, but the warrior did not care. He just ran as fast as he could, no longer really in control of his feet. He knew he was heading somewhere, and he was sure that he knew exactly where in the back of his mind, but everything in his conscious mind was drowned out by an intense and burning terror. Mari accompanied that scream every so often, echoing into the deepest recesses of his mind and tearing him apart. He had gotten to her, he had torn her apart. She was... Was she dead? It was possible that nothing of Mari remained. Or, worse, was she still in complete control and the one who decided to betray him of her own accord?

No, he knew it couldn't be that. He refused to accept the possibility that she would betray him to Nernyn. But the fear persisted in his gut. The question of _what if?_ just continued to pound in his ears with every step. Maybe it was Revan. Maybe it didn't matter. Leon was so consumed by this that he didn't notice the heavy footsteps running down the hall he was about to cross. A body slammed into his side and Leon tumbled to the ground in a pile of limbs.

"Leon! I've been looking everywhere for you!" Cade said as he scrabbled to his feet and moved to help the exile to his feet. Leon just hung limply from the old jedi's grip, staring blankly at the ground. "Leon! We have to move"

"He has her. She's his now," Leon muttered while the man pulled him into a sprint down the hall from whence he had came. "Traya."

Cade looked down, shame spreading across his face with every passing step. "I know. But we need to run, Leon. We need to get away before we get killed," he responded, dragging him along. "I'm... I'm sorry, Leon. We'll fix this; I swear."


	44. Attack of the Clone

Leon was completely unable to concentrate on what was being said, the argument between Ana, Van, his crew, and the three Triumvirs becoming little more than a low rumble in his ears. There was a thought in the back of his mind, laughter about how the three Triumvirs were standing around unarmed, and essentially unguarded, in the same room as Revan's clone. To be fair he wasn't much of a threat at the moment. He had been completely unable to concentrate at all since leaving Dromund Kaas, his mind instead fixed on the events that had unfolded in the prison just a few days earlier. And a Jedi or Sith that couldn't concentrate was the same as a Jedi or Sith on their way to the grave. Leon nodded slightly when he heard his name called, but kept staring at the holo table's ocean of blue glass, the color making him more and more despondent as he stared. He wanted to look away, but it was as if he was transfixed by the color.

The exiled Knight could not help but replay the moment in the Kaas prison over and over again in his head. He had seen the woman's eyes a million times in his mind, each time seeing the same lack of recognition in her eyes. Somehow ever time stung more than the last, eventually causing the faded scar of his lightsaber wound at his gut to burn as if it was still in the process of being created. Nothing felt right anymore, least of all that Mari was light years away serving the person he hated the most. It felt like a terrible betrayal, of not only him but also of Marien for this to have happened. He could not even take comfort in the knowledge – for there was no way this was not true – that she had resisted until the end, as it meant she had been tortured personally by the Emperor for weeks, day in and day out. He would not wish that on her, even if it meant she was as strong as he believed.

"Leon? Leon!" The man looked up, shaking the dazed feeling from his head.

Everyone in the room was busy staring directly at the silent exile. Their eyes were all full of varying levels of sympathy, ranging from the complete lack in the Chancellor's, the mild interest in the Grand Moff's, and the real pain that the man's crew mates communicated with their gazes. "What?" Leon inquired hollowly, his vision blurring in and out while he looked around. He shook his head again until the world surrounding him became completely clear. "I wasn't listening."

"You are leaving," one of the Triumvirs, the Chiss woman, noted. She crossed her arms over her chest, and examined the man with her head cocked to one side.

Leon looked down and noticed he had indeed been edging slowly towards the turbolift. "I am," the warrior said, his conscious mind finally catching up with his unconscious one. Leon soon was turning around and walking away. Being there or not, it didn't really make any difference. They weren't talking about the important things, about how find the Foundry or kill the Emperor. Besides, if he was going to wallow needlessly he might as well do it all by himself.

"You don't have to go," Cade said suddenly, cutting off the renewing arguments between the Triumvirs and Van. Ana was watching Leon closely, an odd look on her face.

"I do," Leon replied without looking over his shoulder. He did an about face in the turbolift and slammed his fist into the up button, doing his best to ignore the worried looks on his allies faces.

Betrayal. He had been told every day by Revan that such a thing was coming. He had been betrayed by Ana and even earlier by the man who claimed to have once been his best friend. Now, despite the fact that he knew she had not wanted it, Marien had betrayed him as well. Revan had been absolutely right – betrayed by friend and betrayed by love. Leon supposed that meant it was only a matter of time before he really did figure out a way to betray himself. Would it be by destroying the Empire he had loved for his entire life, short as it may have been? Would it be by killing Mari and losing something he cared so much about? For the first time, all he knew was that it was inevitably going to happen.

"So you have finally allowed yourself to believe the truth." Revan appeared beside Leon, his pale face and red eyes full of victory. He knew that he was victorious now, that everything he had wanted to happen to Leon had happened – finally, the man was ready to be rebuilt as the ultimate weapon of vengeance. Or, almost. "It is time for you to reclaim what is yours."

"There's nothing left," Leon growled, not wanting to listen to whatever truth the Sith wanted to tell him. He had taken enough truth to last him a lifetime. "Leave me alone."

"You will follow me," Revan noted as the turbolift came to a stop. He walked through the door before it opened to reveal, not the landing pad and the Eagle that Leon had thought he was approaching, but a hallway lit only by dim, gray lights. Glowing with an ethereal and slightly purple light, Revan stood almost twenty feet away with an evil smile on his face. Leon looked down at the controls for the turbolift and considered for a moment the possibility of leaving even Revan behind. He knew that wouldn't work, though. Leon had pressed the button, which meant he was being guided. By the Force, by Revan. It did not matter which: something here called to his destiny. Leon stepped out of the lift and followed the ghost.

"What exactly are we looking for, Revan?" Leon asked, sliding his hands into his pockets and casting a glare at the ground. Even if he knew he had to be there, that did not mean he had to enjoy the company of his travel partner.

"I'm glad you asked," the dead man noted, his voice communicating his grin. Leon groaned internally; he didn't always like being right. Revan slowed his walk for a half second while Leon caught up, then sped up so they walked in step. Revan looked over at Leon and laughed dryly. "I want to tell you, I really do. But I also wonder what you'll say when you see it for the first time. Some things can only be appreciated if you see them."

"I haven't appreciated anything you've brought me," Leon snapped. He stopped in his tracks and clenched his fists in his pockets, holding back from the futile action of attacking the ghost. Swinging his hands, or even better his lightsaber, at the Sith Lord would feel good until he began to laugh at Leon. _That_ would be demoralizing as _kark_. "I lost my home and friends and the love of my life. And then I learned none of it was even mine to begin with. You gave me everything just to take it away!"

"What use would a lie for a past be, Leon?" Revan countered before turning and walking away. Leon watched him go for a while, then made after his former self. Revan no longer waited for his clone, instead opting to lead at a speed that forced Leon to jog to keep up. "The Jedi are hypocritcal fools, but their code is not one to be taken lightly. There must be truth, instead of ignorance. Most Sith want power from lies and their own deceit. You must instead take power from truth, no matter how terrible it is."

"Interesting thing to say for someone who said I should never believe a thing he said," Leon retorted. Revan froze mid step, but continued walking nonetheless.

"...Yes," Revan muttered, though it was not very convincing. "You are learning, then. But we don't have time for that. Your lessons have ended, and your final test is about to begin, Leon." Revan stopped moving and placed himself in front of a pair of doors. "I'm afraid that you are going to have to open the doors, my action lack weight at the moment. The code -" the ghost pointed his glowing finger at the door's access pad "- is 7-2-8-7-1. Open the door and you will see everything that you need to see. Everything you needed to become what you are, everything you... well, you'll see."

Leon glanced between the Sith and the door, then input the code. The doors hissed open slowly, replaced with an empty darkness. Lights began to flicker to life within the inky blackness, first on the floors to highlight a path through the shadows and then in a series of room spanning tubes that illuminated everything. "What the hell?" Leon whispered, taking a few steps through the door and gaping in surprise at what he was seeing. The room was filled with large tubes that were slightly iced over, rows and rows of them covering every inch of the floor.

"Go. See them," Revan commanded before walking down the main path on the ground. He stopped between the first two tubes and looked over his shoulder. The light of the tubes shifted and a shadowy creature appeared to move towards the ghost, as if they could sense him. Leon's hand went to his lightsaber on his hip. "There will be no need for that. Search as many of them as you feel you should; I will wait for you at the end of the room." Revan turned back down the path and walked away once more, the contents of the tubes rustling to follow him. Leon watched him go and saw more shapes rustle in the more distant tubes, the shapes growing progressively less and less monstrous.

Leon took a shuddering breath and moved towards the closest tube. He stopped a few paces away when whatever was within moved towards him. He looked over his shoulder at the still open door, wondering if he should just leave right then and there. He instead walked towards the tube and reached out with his right hand. His palm grazed the cool, frosted glass and a shiver ran down his spine. It had nothing to do with the temperature of the room. The shape within rustled again, and Leon leaned in to try and make it out. One jump scare later, he was sitting on the ground panting while staring up at the creature within the tube.

It was a mostly humanoid shape, though it appeared as alien as a Vong. Its head was deformed and flat at the crest, as if the top of its skull was missing. The creature, whatever it was, had only one eye and it was floating outside of its socket. Leon cringed again when the eyelid shut and opened around the optic nerve. The creature's body was not much better than its head, with what looked to be a spine and organs dripping out of its chest and dragging against the bottom of its container. "What the hell is that thing?" Leon muttered, pushing up to his feet and walking closer to it. The being opened its toothless mouth and slammed its one good hand against the wall nearest where he stood. He shook his head and took a disturbed step back. Just what was the Triumvirate up to?

Leon moved up to the next tube and didn't even jump when another monstrous creature slithered up to the wall. This one had two arms instead, and its organs were still within its body. The base of its form had two mis-shapen and infant-like feet. Leon suddenly had a very odd feeling, as if he had seen this creature before. He glanced back at the last one and noted that, other than appearing more complete, this new creature was nearly identical. Leon glanced at the ground for a moment and soon walked further into the room.

Each row followed the same pattern, with the creature appearing more human like and even more familiar than the last. He skipped a few rows and made his way to the very last tube. This tube was in the center of the pathway, which continued around it on either side. The path continued further, the lights above disappearing and bathing the rest of the room in darkness. Leon walked around the tube and stared down the pathway for a moment, considering skipping the last monstrous creature and finding out what Revan really wanted him to see. And yet he found that he couldn't resist and walked back to the final tube. "Project Besh. Subject 10,197. Success number 1. Release scheduled for... N/A," Leon read from the holoplaque that erupted into being on the side of the tube. Leon swiped the screen away and pressed his hands and face against the tube's glass, intent on viewing whatever it was that the Triumvirate would deem a 'success.'

This being within made Leon's blood go cold, though not because of some sort of hideous deformity or sudden movement full of primal rage. No, it completed the pattern of increasing humanity that the other tubes' denizens had impressed upon Leon. So too did it appear most familiar to him, as familiar, one could say, as the man's own reflection. Because what floated, inert, within the tube _was_ Leon's reflection. Or, rather, a being with whom Leon shared it. His clone – No, not quite. Revan's clone. Revan's clone was what floated within the unknown fluid. Leon looked past the complete clone and gazed upon the rows and rows and rows upon rows and rows and rows of them, each more of a failure than the last. Than this... this... Leon could not even describe the 'successful' clone to himself. It was so hateful to him, so deserving of malice that he would not allow it to become anything other than this inert, useless lump of force grown cells that it was. Leon glared at the figure for a moment and then, impulsively, pressed the activation button and took a step back.

Leon watched as the machine began to slowly empty its contents and let his hand fall to his lightsaber. After a moment of consideration, he pulled his hand away. He wanted something more personal. Leon watched as the wall of the tube slid open and the clone fell heavily to the ground. It looked up, gray eyes dazed and confused from their first glimpse of the world beyond its clone tube. When it caught sight of Leon, the clone's eyes widened further in recognition. "You're..." Leon's eyes narrowed as it spoke and he shoved its noise from his mind. The Triumvirate must have managed to scrap together a barely working copy of the original Revan's brainwaves and implanted them in this... It was alive. Leon would correct that. Leon reached down and lifted the clone by the throat with one hand, the other cocked back with fist clenched. He walked forward, mind clear as he ignored the clone's begging for mercy, and slammed its back against the wall of its clone tube.

Leon roared angrily and slammed his fist into the clone's face, enjoying the feeling of its nose crunching beneath his knuckles. He brought his hand back and slammed it forward again. Again. Again, he continued even past the point where he knew that the clone was dead. His fist just kept slamming into the paste that was once the clone's begging skull. "DAMN IT!" Leon screamed, bringing the corpse back with both hands and throwing it through the glass of the tube. He brought his hands to his chest, channeling energy through his palms, then let them shoot forward. A burst of concussive energy, tinged with purple and white Force Lightning, rushed from his hands and through the room. Clone tubes exploded violently, their contents screaming out as they were melted down to nothing. The glass shattering was somehow comforting for Leon, as if it was the sound of his world ending by his own hand. It felt right.

Leon finally let his hands fall a moment later so he could stare at the carnage. The liquid from the tubes had come to cover the floor in a thin layer of glistening blue. Lights fell from the ceiling and shattered against the ground, electricity sparking from them and traveling through the puddles of liquid, sometimes eliciting final reaction from the dead monstrosities all around. Leon took it all in for a moment, a feeling of both regret and grim satisfaction rising in his gut, and then turned around and walked down the rest of the path.

Revan was there, waiting for him with an arrogant grin on his face. The ghost was standing beside a armor mannequin in black robes. A red length of cloth hung from a circular belt buckle that kept up the black pants. Bronze armor snaked out and into the cloth of the robes and a silver cylinder was attached to the hip of the belt. From beneath the hood gazed out an angry, red and silver visage. A single black stripe constituted the visor of the mask. The colors came together at the chin to form the face of vengeance. Revan disappeared a second later, and everything went dark.

Leon was still awake, completely aware that he was in a place without any light. He looked around, waiting for something – anything – to come into view. It felt like hours before the world around him slowly became differing shades of gray and silver. Red lights flashed on the walls. There were stairs at the center of the room and leading to a black etching of the Fel Coat of Arms over the Imperial Insignia. There was a large view port at the end of the long room, which was obviously the bridge of a Ship, and showed the empty blackness of wherever Leon was right now. In his mind, he guessed.

Leon walked up the stairs to stand at the center of Fel Coat of Arms – _his_ Coat of Arms – and looked around. He had an undeniable feeling of familiarity for this place, though he couldn't quite tell why. "It's where we were killed." Leon turned around slowly and glared at the dead Sith Lord, who now looked as he had when he had been betrayed – mask, robes, and even lightsaber the same. The blood red blade hovered just parallel his leg. He took a long breath, the noise distorted by the mask's speakers, then spoke once again, "The time has come."

Leon remained silent for a moment before reaching down to his hip and igniting his own weapon. The prophecy that the dead Sith had told him so long ago ringing in his ears as he did, every word striking at his heart like a dagger: "By the time my vengeance is completed, you will be betrayed three times. Once by friend. Once by lover. You shall, at the last, be betrayed by yourself. Then, and only then, will your path to the Dark Side be complete."

"You said you've been taking my body over whenever I edge too close to the Dark Side," Leon stated while setting himself into a ready stance. His fingers tightened around the hilt of the black and white lightsaber blade, his nails going white beneath his gloves. "So this is it. You're betraying me."

"I told you that you would betray yourself by the time this was all over. Friend, Love, and now this. Just as I foresaw," Revan responded, though his voice did not sound as triumphant as Leon thought it perhaps should have. Instead, the Sith Ghost sounded almost... sorry. Still arrogant, still assured that he would kill Leon, but almost empathetic to his lot in life. "I remember what it is to be betrayed so many times by so many friends. If you were actually a real person, I may even feel truly bad about this."

Leon found that, after what he had done in the Clone Room, he could no longer muster anger at that insult. When it had been only him that had been cloned, it had seemed like the galaxy was unfair. Looking back, he realized that he was not one of a kind. He was a successful clone, that was it. He could have been a twisted monstrosity murdered by one of its own. "I'm not going to make it easy for you," Leon hollowly told the Sith, who remained deathly still.

"If you did, I would be disappointed in myself." Then the two warriors rushed each other, black blade and red coming ever closer to decide not only the direction of the galaxy's future but, perhaps more importantly, the direction of one man's path through that galaxy.


	45. Darth Revan

Leon desperately tried to block the attacks that Revan was sending his way, the red lightsaber flashing like a ribbon of death through the air around him as he danced perilously around the blows. Despite his own skill with the blade, he knew that everything he was doing right now was just biding time until Revan managed to destroy him. Leon had to find out a way to beat the ghost and quick, if only to deny him the satisfaction of victory. Leon jumped to the side to dodge the next attack and spun away to give him some breathing room. "You have to know that this will not end well for you. I will not give you a painless death if you resist me. Surrender, and I will let you go quietly."

Leon ignored the threat and threw his free hand towards his enemy, releasing a concussive blast of Force energy that Revan simply rolled around. "If that is what you desire," the Sith Lord muttered darkly. He raised his own hand, fingers crackling purple with Dark Force energy, and grabbed the ship around them. Everything shook, and lightning began to jump between the surfaces of the bridge with anything even partially free shuddering beneath his grip. Leon ran forward before Revan could finish his attack and unleashed a flurry of blows, each faster than he even thought was possible. The black and white blade sliced through the air around Revan, growing closer until the Sith was forced to jump away and cease his grip on the ship.

The two took another breath and readied for battle again, with the Sith being the first to attack this time. He slashed horizontally at Leon's head, and the warrior rolled beneath the incoming attack. Revan smiled behind his mask and kicked the other warrior with a Force enhanced blow that sent him flying into the wall in a crumpled up heap. "You are incapable of victory, Leon. I was only defeated when I was miles away from the one who betrayed me, killed in an explosion I could not sense surrounded as I was by danger. Surrender."

"You're a Force Ghost, right?" Leon asked quietly. He pushed himself to his feet and reignited his saber. Revan stood still as stone until nodding slowly. What was this about? "Then why not take the other clone!? Why destroy everything I am? Is it for fun, you son of a _schutta_!?"

"You are special, Leon. You were created using the Forge's technological capabilities. There is no genetic imperfection in your DNA. You have memories implanted within your skull that my time as a ghost have wiped away." He shrugged and began to advance on Leon again. "And you have Light in you. A balance that would make your mind strong enough to receive mine when the time came, with training. I took you, I destroyed you, because that was the only way I could live." He crossed his saber with Leon's and lightly knocked the shivering man's weapon out of the way. "Surrender."

Leon eyes flicked to the ground, then back up. " _Kriffing schutta_ ," he snarled. He slashed diagonally upward at Revan's chest, but the attack was blocked before it even started.

"Surrender!" Revan shouted again. He disarmed Leon and grabbed him by the throat, raising the hopelessly outmatched warrior from the ground. "SURRENDER!"

Leon shook his head. Why? Why did he keep demanding that? If he could just kill Leon and take the body back, why did Revan keep ordering him to surrender? It didn't make any sense. It wasn't as if he was a worthy opponent for the Sith Lord – he had been taken down three times in maybe four minutes. There must have been something else going on, something he was missing. Leon smiled despite the fact he was being strangled. "Go to hell." He gasped in pain when a lightsaber found its way into his gut. "Go... to hell," he managed to get out.

"You are making this far more difficult than I had hoped," the Sith Lord growled. He pulled the red blade from Leon's gut and tossed the injured warrior across the bridge. Leon slammed unceremoniously into a wall of computers, sparks exploding out from where he had slammed into the wall. He hit the ground with his lightsaber clattering uselessly against the ground a foot away from his outstretched hand. He tried to push himself up, but his arms gave out and his face slammed back into the cool durasteel of the floor. "Give in."

"Why do you – Ha! Oh, by the Force!" Leon shouted, laughter wracking his entire broken form as he finally understood. He ignored the intense pain that rumbled from his gut through his chest and behind his eyes with every movement; he found that even if he wanted to stop laughing at the incredibly powerful Sith Lord, he no longer had the capability to do so. It was just too funny. "You can't kill me!"

Revan stopped moving towards Leon and his lightsaber swayed by his side. There was a quiet squeak as his leather clad grip tightened on the weapon's hilt, the only sign of how enraged he was becoming. "That is not true," he snarled at the broken warrior. He did not move towards his foe to simply murder him, however, lending credence to the theory.

"Please. You're a Sith Lord," Leon retorted. He looked up and shut one of his eyes. A cocky grin spread across his face. "If you could murder me brutally, in cold blood, it would have already happened. Don't insult _our_ intelligence, Darth Revan." Leon hissed and let his forehead slowly drift back down to rest on the metal floor. It was comfortable to let the cool metal touch his burning forehead, and he thought about going to sleep real quick, just to annoy Revan.

"Fine, you are correct," Darth Revan admitted angrily. He deactivated his lightsaber and clipped it to his belt before leaning down to pick up Leon's deactivated weapon. "I cannot kill you."

"That kind of removes the immediacy of this fight, doesn't it?" Leon supplied dryly.

"There was never any rush, Leon," the Sith Lord replied, shrugging. With a bored monotone, he continued speaking. "You see, this is within my mind. Your mind, our mind. Whichever you prefer."

"... Meaning what, exactly, _Schutta_?" Leon inquired, already not liking where this avenue of conversation was going.

"Think of it this way – We could spend a thousand thousand eternities locked in battle, neither of us reaching anything resembling a victory for this entire time. We could watch stars rise from the aether and decay again into protons. We could imagine the birth and death of the Force itself, Leon, and no time in the universe beyond would have passed at all," Revan explained with an audible smirk. He took a threatening step towards Leon and ignited the black lightsaber in his right hand. "Of course, we could always pass our countless eons preoccupied with more... entertaining activities."

"Phrasing..." Leon mocked with a streak of terror running through his voice. The black lightsaber dangled just above his ear, the hum burning away his thoughts in white noise. "Torture, though? Really? How original, Sith."

"Originality is over rated. I prefer results," Revan retorted. He slowly lowered the tip of the blade, and Leon screamed out in excruciating pain while the lightsaber slowly burned away through his ear and his eardrum was vaporized. He hoped he would pass out, but for some reason could not. Hell, his eardrum's destruction didn't even stop him from having to hear Revan's monologuing. "You see, unlike those other Sith I don't have a problem coming off as unoriginal or with letting you know the truth. I cannot kill you... But, I think that I have that same sadism they all had."

"Masochism. I think," Leon retorted.

"Perhaps. This is a unique experience," Revan brushed off. He raised the lightsaber and waved it over Leon's body. "I'm thinking the inner thigh, next. How about you?"

"I was hoping for your chest next, _Schutta_ ," Leon muttered. Revan scoffed and brought Leon's saber down, lightning fast.

Only for it to crash into a blade of the purest white. Revan jumped back instinctively and held the black blade out in front of him. He sighed and relaxed his stance. "Here I thought that you said you were not going to interfere," the Sith Lord said. Leon tried to get a glimpse at whoever had saved him, but could only see the blade that was as white as snow. "And yet, here you are." He entered his battle stance once again. " _Interfering_."

"I actually said it would be best if neither of us got involved," a familiar voice stated. He took a step forward, revealing his long black coat and shaggy brown hair. He looked down at Leon and sighed. "It's his life to live, not ours."

"He's on his way out."

"You're trying to influence his decision," Theron Fel responded as he entered his own back hand battle stance. "I will not allow that, Sith."

"Ugh. We were never even a Jedi and you still speak with their moral indignation." Revan jumped forward, black blade flashing with a trailing ribbon of Light. "So you should die like them!"

SWSWSWSWSW

 _Six Months before the Assassination of Darth Revan_

Theron Fel walked silently with his hood up, ignoring the people who swarmed around him as he walked towards his destination on foot, a building that would lead him down into the depths of the planet beneath this township. He glanced up at the night sky for a moment and stopped walking. All the stars in the blackness of space were visible, revealing nebulae of reds and blues, arching across the universe. It was far more beautiful that the inky nothingness that one saw every night on Coruscant, one of the beneficial results of living on a world that was not an ecumenopolis. That combined with the cleaner air and rural charm made Theron understand why someone would live on a planet like this. Maybe he would get a summer home on this planet; he spent almost half his time there anyways. Theron took a deep breath, then walked towards his destination.

The door hissed open as soon as he stood before it, revealing a small shop within which stood only a single thin and unremarkably average droid behind a counter. Droid servos and vehicle parts rested all over the shelves on the walls, prices listed on strips of paper beneath them. "Hello, Sir, how can I help you today?" the droid, a silver model by the name 3T-FRM, inquired with an overly cheery voice of a salesman.

The leader of the True Empire walked right past the droid and stared at the wall for three seconds before turning and looking the droid right in its glowing yellow optics. He didn't have time for the whole spiel, at the moment. Coming up with a sentence for the code phrase activation, saying the entire thing. No, he would just say what he needed to. "White flag," the Sith Lord grumbled. He turned back to the wall and waited for the droid to respond.

The effect was radical, with the droid's optic lights turning a flushed red and its squeaky voice dropping two octaves. "Code actions and phrase accepted. Welcome back, Emperor Fel," the droid's new voice muttered. It walked over to the desk again and typed a pass code into the data pad used for payment. It turned back to Theron and bowed its head slightly before its eyes returned to their normal yellow and its voice to the annoyingly grating tone it had held earlier. As the wall in front of Theron slid away, the droid beeped happily. "Have an amazing day, Sir!"

Theron grunted in acknowledgment and walked through the new gateway without a further noise. The wall slid shut behind him, and he turned around as the room began to hum and light up. The now dimly illuminated turbolift whirred into activation and was soon plummeting through the ground at terminal velocity. Thanks to the inertial dampeners present within the lift, the only proof he was even moving were the lights in the elevator shaft that flew past before he could truly see them. After a few minutes, the whirring of the lift slowed and deepened, the transport slowing as it finally approached its destination.

Theron moved forward when the doors finally opened and found himself walking through a long, circular hallway. The clear plasteel around him eventually revealed a huge, empty room far below him, an enormous hangar that could contain countless fighters if fully stocked. This had long since become mundane to the man, however, and he ignored it as he would ignore the hangar bay of any of his ships. It was just his luck that the Forge Seed had subsumed the entirety of the ship he had placed it in, devouring it entirely and improving upon it. Teleporting the now massive destroyer beneath the once uninhabited area had been... difficult, even if he had been repeating the famous mantra of Master Yoda about how 'Size matters not.'

When he reached the end of the tube, a pair of doors slammed shut behind him and an array of glowing buttons lit up on the wall. Without looking, he reached out with his hand and activated the correct one by muscle memory, and the turbo lift was soon taking him to the deepest recesses of the ship, to where the heart of the Forge itself rested. The lift came to a stop after a few seconds, and Theron stepped out into his workshop. "Computer, give me project 2-0-0-3 progress reports," he commanded in a loud voice before he even reached the wall of screens. The computer assistant chirped to life and dragged the relevant files up for its master to view. Theron scoffed and let his eyes fall. So it really was complete. "Computer, have the droids bring the clone's tank up here, I want to see him and download the cover before we activate the project."

The computer hummed for a moment and brought the cover up on screen. There were a couple voids in the data he had yet to fill, so that needed to be done now. "Okay, homeworld... Got any ideas?" The computer chirped in response and filled the blank with _Entralla_. Theron laughed once. "Well, honesty it is. We'll have to hire someone to perform the father's part. Where are we on that?" The screen brought up a list of people. Theron looked at the top one. "Hm... Imperial Intelligence, right? How loyal?" The computer chirped. "Of course on a scale of one to ten." The computer was silent for a few seconds, then beeped seven times. "Hm... Get rid of anyone less than an eight, then select the most skilled. You have all the relevant signatures."

Theron turned around expectantly when the turbolift doors hissed open again, and four lifting droids carrying a single large, bacta filled tube lumbered in. He stood stock still as they approached and waited for them to gingerly place the tube at his feet. He waved his hand to dismiss the automatons, then walked to the side of the tube.

Within was a man who looked almost exactly his age. His brown hair was soaked dark by the fluid surrounding his unborn form. A tube led from the wall of the machine and into a spike jammed directly into his lungs, providing oxygen. Wires led from the other side and were plugged into electrodes stuck to the clone's head. The perfect clone, created without even the slightest loss in Force potential or other genetic breakdown that most other cloning procedures held. Old data his Empire had held onto from the Vader days had been of great help in this project.

The clone smiled in his sleep. Theron cursed himself – _it_ smiled – but it was too late. Theron sighed at his increasingly divided mindset. The negative side effects of the scepter he'd taken from the Rakata were getting worse. If he died, the strain of the Force based disease would likely shatter his spirit into its component parts, Light and Dark already warred within him, and this made it worse and worse. "I have a couple more things on the clone's personality that I want to program. Set the clone's personality to only degrade if he becomes aware of what he is." No point in killing an innocent 'person' if there was no need. "His brain's makeup is the same as mine, right? Good." He looked over at the computer. It's connection with the Forge allowed it certain... abilities regarding the Force in its programming. "Can you set the clone's personality as the one that decides what is integrated if a Force Ghost inhabits the body? Yes, make sure the clone personality will decay, but I want it to decide which parts of me are the ones the Empire needs. I don't need your reservations, I need results; just _karking_ do it."

Theron returned his gaze to the clone in his tube. "I hope you live a long life. Mainly because that means I'm not dead," Theron admitted as he placed his hand above the clone's head. "But also because it means I didn't have to kill you, Leon."


	46. Duel of the Fates

**AN: I know it's been a REALLY long time. Sorry. I just wasn't super excited about the story. I'd screwed up a few things in the interest of speed and ease. This story was good for a while but started suffering from being the bridge in the trio of stories, and I'm sorry. I shouldn't have sacrificed quality to move quickly and I will try to avoid it from now on... even if it takes three months again. Hopefully not, though.**

The man with the white lightsaber jumped backwards, swiping upwards with his blade as Revan approached him. The black and white crashed against one another and Leon fought off the questions that were rising in his mind. He really wanted to know what the _kark_ was going on, but he was a little preoccupied by watching the fight going on in front of him. He grimaced and tried to push himself up, only for the world to start shaking around him. He fought off a sudden feeling of nausea – and the question of how someone could have nausea inside their own head – and fought through until he could sit with his back against the wall. The light flashed in a series of quick, barely there taps of blade against blade.

The man with the white blade let himself be driven back step by step towards the elevated portion of the bridge, his eyes dull and completely calm. "Sith spit, why did you have to choose now to get off your ass?" Revan snarled as his last attack was deflected away and his Light twin backflipped away. The man landed lightly at the head of the ship and reset for their duel, spinning his weapon to a backhand grip and waiting patiently for the Sith Lord to attack. "Ugh, as if you could fight me. You're not even half of Theron Fel; the Light Side has never been strong with us."

"Then why are you so afraid?" the man who Revan fought inquired.

Revan smiled at this and held his hand out, summoning the red lightsaber from in front of Leon to his left hand and igniting the blade. "Fear feeds the Dark Side," Revan pointed out before rushing Theron with the two blades, spinning them to create a pair of violent ribbons of light that flowed around his form. The other man – given what Revan had said, it was clear that the man wasn't Theron Fel, just as Revan wasn't fully Revan – waited for the attacks to near. He didn't even move until the ribbon slashed just in front of him, then attacked between the two trails, making use of an opening that Revan's hyper-offensive style left.

Revan was quick, however, and he spun out of the attacks path. As he did, he brought both of his blades around horizontally to decapitate the other man. The attack was barely deflected by the white saber, and the man jumped across the bridge. He flipped as he tumbled and landed beside Leon. He glanced over at Leon, his steely gray eyes completely placid, then returned his attention to Revan. Leon had the disturbing feeling that the man had not liked what he had seen at that moment, and had decided to do something else. Leon swallowed a lump in his throat and continued to watch the fight while he waited for the pounding in his head to clear out.

"You don't give nearly enough snappy dialogue during a fight, you know," Revan growled when he parried a stab of the white blade. He brought a counter attack down to try and literally disarm the other warrior. The man flipped his blade backhand again and caught the attack with the white blade. He lashed out with his free hand at Revan's gut, the first of the two to land a blow in the duel. Revan fought off the urge to double over, and instead the air simply rushed from his lungs with an 'oof!' While he was distracted by the momentary flash of pain, however, a black boot heel slammed into his face and his head snapped to the side. He stumbled with it, but recovered quickly enough to force a saber lock with the other man. "What do you call yourself then?"

"I am a Skywalker," the man responded as he pushed down on the crossed blades of Revan.

"Skywalker, then? Pah, a Jedi name," Revan growled.

"As was Revan," Skywalker pointed out. Revan scoffed and gave a powerful shove, and Skywalker was thrown back. Leon watched Skywalker's feet land against the ceiling, where he leaped straight towards Revan, spinning like a corkscrew as he did. Revan snarled and jumped to the side to dodge it, easily avoiding any kind of damage. Skywalker seemed to expect this, however, and rolled to his knees to try and deliver a sharp stab through Revan's leg. This blow was parried easily, and Skywalker was forced to block the incoming counterattack. Then it was Skywalker's turn to taste pain, as Revan's foot snapped up to collide with his chin and send him stumbling to his back. He lashed out with his own foot as he fell, the blow colliding with Revan's right hand and sending the black lightsaber to the ground, where it clattered deactivated.

Revan snarled and tossed his red blade to his right hand, twisting it backhand before reaching out with his left hand to lift Skywalker into the air with the Force. She then tossed him to the side so he could collide with the wall. Sparks exploded from where he had landed, and Revan rushed him with his weapon. Skywalker hit the ground on his knees, but looked up in time to lash out with his left hand. A wave of energy rushed out from his hand, a bubble of the Force that threw Revan back and into the wall.

"You cannot compare to the Dark Side!" Revan snarled as he brought himself up to his feet. He raised both of his hands in front of him, sparks of Sith Lightning erupting in a purple glow between his fingers for a moment before becoming a torrential wave of Dark energy. Skywalker, who had been charging Revan, gasped in surprise and raised his weapon in front of his body with barely a moment to spare. The energy crashed into the white plasma blade, rebounding off and around the room. Computers exploded violently, portions of the walls began to shine with sparks of purple energy, and Leon was sent rolling across the ground from the release of pressure that had accompanied it. His roll ended when he hit the wall, and his eyes opened slightly.

The two combatants were stock still, frozen where they were. If either stopped what they were doing, the other would easily be able to reach them in time to win the battle. Leon took a few deep breaths as he watched the two of them try to make headway against one another, but neither could. "Quick, give me control!" Leon's eyes flew up to Skywalker, who was staring at him, imploring he do it.

"W-what!?" Leon snapped angrily.

"Give me control. It would be for the greater good!"

Leon felt a powerful explosion of anger flare in his chest, and he was suddenly on his feet. "Give you control?" he asked. He shook his head and raised his hand to his side, activating his black saber even as he summoned it to his hand. The two combatants stared in surprise as he rushed the both of them, igniting a three way lightsaber duel.

Leon ducked beneath a defending blow from Skywalker, then swiped at Revan's legs. The Sith Lord jumped over the attack, only for another slash to rush towards his head. He raised his blade, blocking Skywalker's white one. The force of the collision sent him tumbling away and he hit the main viewport of the Bridge. Leon slashed upward with his weapon, and it was caught against the white saber. "You're just like him, dammit!" Leon snarled before Skywalker shoved them apart. He twisted his black saber in front of him and opened his mouth to say something else, until the hairs on the back of his neck stood up and he was forced to jump further out of the way to avoid Revan's decapitating blow. The Sith Lord flew over him, his blow instead catching against Skywalker's defenses. Skywalker shoved against the blow and the Sith Lord flipped back to land on the other side of Leon once more.

Skywalker had left himself open to attack by doing this, however. His arms were over extended above Leon, allowing the man to surge upwards and deliver a glancing, albeit morale boosting, slash across the fragment of Theron Fel's psyche. When Skywalker tried to move out of the way, it only ended up worsening the blow, leading to a gash that trailed across his entire chest.

Skywalker roared in pain, his saber deactivating as he stumbled backwards and began to fall to his back. Leon grinned triumphantly and let his saber dip slightly, almost so much that he forgot to pay attention to his Force Awareness. Revan lashed out from behind Leon, and the warrior was barely able to turn and raise his saber in time to defend himself. His block was clumsy, however, and his arm was thrown wide with his blade still in his hand. Revan took this opportunity to try and stab straight through his chest, but Leon was quick enough this time. He twisted his body and dashed to the side, grabbing onto the wrist of Revan's weapon hand as he did. Revan dropped the blade before Leon could wrench it out of his hand and quickly caught it in his other, sweeping it around at Leon's knees. He lowered his blade to meet it, then let go of Revan's wrist. The magnetic fields of their lightsabers shrieked out and fused, locking their weapons together for a moment. "This is the second time I have had to fight against a dying ghost taking refuge in my mind," the Sith Lord stated. He brought the lock up to their faces, the glow casting a disturbing shadow across the Mask. "And it will be second time I exterminate one." He brought his hand up to grab Leon's blade wrist, then slammed his armored head into Leon's face.

Leon stumbled backwards, raising his saber on instinct. The red blade crashed into his weapon and he struggled to keep up as the blows kept coming. Eventually, the red saber slapped his aside once, then a second time straight down before he could recover. The hilt twisted out of his tired and bruised fingers and clattered uselessly against the ground. Revan laughed cruelly and performed a spin kick, the blow crashing into Leon's chest and sending him tumbling across the ground. Leon hit the wall with his back and collapsed into a sitting position. His eyes drifted up as Revan approached him slowly. Leon took a deep breath as the blade rose above Revan's head, and he suddenly knew he only had one chance.

The blade arced down towards Leon, the red of the weapon filling his vision for a moment. Until, finally, it stopped. Leon was staring at the tip of the energy weapon, all of his concentration fixed on stopping the blade from hitting him. "What?" Revan growled angrily.

"Why so surprised? You've done it," Leon pointed out. He pushed himself to his feet and let loose a powerful blast of Force energy from his hand beside his hip. The Sith flew away from him and crashed through the computers on the wall. Leon's blade was in his hand again, ignited, just a moment later. Next, he summoned Revan's saber to his off hand. He pointed his own weapon at Revan and the red blade at Skywalker, who had been watching from a distance. "Now, yield. Both of you! This is my mind, and would never let you have it!"

Revan tore himself out of the computers then tore off his mask. His eyes, the color of blood and fire, locked onto Leon's eyes. But they would not melt the steely resolve that rested within them. "I will not give in. This is my body! I cloned _myself_ to make you, and I am here to collect that debt you ungrateful copy!"

"Leon..." Skywalker said. Leon and Revan both flinched and turned towards the man. He deactivated his white saber and tossed it to the ground at Leon's feet, though that did not result in Leon lowering the red blade. "Even if we did that, you would not survive. Leon Reht was a lie, and it is one that will fall apart given even a moment to do so. Give me control -"

"Dying would be better than the either of you monsters," he snarled back.

Skywalker considered this for a moment. "Fine. If you will not cede control to me, I would rather we go through with the only other option available to us."

Revan nodded. " _Me_."

"No," Skywalker said calmly. "Theron was unbalanced and angry. But he was not _you_."

Revan smirked at his counterpart. "He became me, though. He only pretended to be you."

"Am I going to be let in on the secret any time soon?!" Leon snapped. Lightning snapped and crackled around the blades in his hands, born from his anger and frustration.

"Don't speak like that to m-"

"Yes," Skywalker cut in. He looked over at Leon again. "You are a temporary personality created from the brainwave pattern of mine – and _Revan's..._ When we were one, when we were Theron Fel. The scan was created shortly before his travels on the Crimson Eagle, and Theron saw that version of himself as the one most true to who he really was. But it was damaged and incomplete. We are enough of Theron's soul to complete that, but there would be nothing left of your personality. Just your power and your memories."

"My power and memories," Revan growled at Skywalker.

He went ignored. "Leon, you are temporary. We – Revan and I – are the remains of his real spirit. Upon the death of Theron Fel, he used Sith magic to force his soul to flee to the one creature capable of containing it. Unfortunately, that same Force technique shattered his soul into two halves that occupied that vessel separately. His – _our_ – clone. At that moment, Leon Reht began to die. Everything since has been our attempt to force you to hand over control, completely, to one of us."

"So you _were_ doing it, too. Hmph, at least I was up front about seizing control," Revan snarled. "Not scheming in the shadows to look like the good guy."

"I had no need to. He would never kill his friends, but your advice would drive him away from attachment," Skywalker retorted, not a trace of anger in his voice. "Besides, I am the good guy."

"No. Neither of you are!" Leon snarled. He dropped his lightsabers to his side and looked at Revan. "You want to kill me just so you can have power. Power to... to destroy planets and be another Sith Lord." He wheeled on Skywalker. "And you... You don't care about my friends, not even enough to hate them. You're just like all the Jedi – apathetic to the last. Hell, you're worse than he is. Neither of you get _anything_ from me!"

Revan sighed in defeat. His vengeance was getting nowhere like this... "Then I guess you'll have to get things from us," he finally assented to a confused Leon.

SWSWSWSWSW

Ana froze when the noise began to echo in her ears. A hum of intense power that threatened to tear everything around her apart in its wake. She staggered backwards and fell to one knee, trying to find some sort of direction in the sudden wave of power. "By the Force..." she heard from behind her, the voice of an old, tired man. So, Cade had felt it as well. She raised her eyes to the intrigued and slightly concerned Grandmaster of the Jedi. Why did he not feel this suffocating power, power she hadn't felt since Revan's death?

Her eyes shot down to the saber on her hip when a ripple of power traveled through her skin. It was only visible in the Force, but even without looking intently on the shining item, the light bled through her senses almost blindingly. She tore the weapon from her hip and tossed it to the ground just seconds before the white blade ignited of its own accord. A collective gasp rose up from the Triumvirate and the non-Force sensitives who were present.

A moment later, there was a huge explosion of Light at the center of the room, just above the war table. Ana felt herself be thrown backwards and knew that the same must have happened tot he others. The source of the aura had grown immeasurably. It was calm at the moment, but it was still dense enough that she found she could barely breathe. She noticed with a start that her eyes were closed, so she forced them to open. It took a few tries, as the aura seemed to demand all of her concentration, so much so that it was difficult to think of opening her eyes much less do it. Finally, they opened.

All the blood ran out of Ana's face, and she felt like the world was about to end. "Revan..."

Indeed, the masked man was standing on top of the war table. The face of death swiveled slowly about to focus on every face in the room. He was wearing the same robes he had worn the day he died, black with bronze armor that moved organically through the cloth. A blood red saber was in his right hand. It looked odd without being pointed at someone's throat, as it not fulfilling its destiny. Revan's mask fixed on Ana and he raised his left hand out. She yelped and hurriedly raised her remaining lightsaber to deflect the Sith Lightning that was inevitably going to come her way.

Except it didn't. She lowered the orange blade to see that Revan had instead summoned the white blade from the floor to his hand and had deactivated it. With one gloved thumb he flipped open the compartment for the crystal matrix. Using the Force, he extracted the white crystal before tossing the dead saber to Ana's feet. He then extinguished the red blade in his other hand and tore the red crystal from it, replacing it with the white one. The white saber, the same hilt and crystal now as when Ana had first met Theron, came to life in his hand. He tossed the red crystal into the air and his blade shot up, turning the crystal to vapor that drifted through the recycled air of the Coruscanti room. His left hand then drifted down to his right hip and pulled off another lightsaber, which in turn came to life with a black blade with a star-white aura. "Leon?" Ana asked. She honestly had no idea who stood above her now, the color of his Force aura non-existent despite its intense power.

"I'm Theron Fel," he corrected. He took a breath. "And I know where we need to go." Leon – _Theron_ – extinguished his twin and opposite lightsabers before placing them back on his hips, followed soon by the mask. His gray eyes looked around the room before meeting Ana's again. She blushed when she saw memories – _their_ memories – running behind them for a moment. Then they turned to steel and he turned on the Triumvirs. "I know where the Forge is."


	47. The Wrong Decisions

Theron was sitting at the center of a court martial tribunal, the three Triumvirs surrounding him and considering the man who, despite sitting in a chair almost a half dozen feet below their own, appeared to look down on them even still. He filled the room with his presence, and the impossibility of his being Theron Fel seemed more likely by the minute. Cade, Deranis, Ana, and Van were not allowed to be present due to their inherent biases regarding the man who had supposedly returned from the dead. His arms had been strapped down, bolted to the chair so he could not escape. The Mask he had held clipped onto his belt was now placed under the nervously moving fingers of the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order. Theron didn't seem to care much about any of that, though. "You are wasting valuable time; I am not interested in answering any more of your questions," Theron grunted. He kept his gray eyes focused on the window behind the Moff, where he could see the turrets of the Imperial Palace arching through the blue-gray sky.

"And yet, answer them you shall," the Chiss woman stated simply. She looked down at a Datapad. "Until today, you claimed that the Forge was perhaps only thirty meters in diameter, at the very maximum. Why the sudden change to the size of a Super Star Destroyer?"

"I told you already that the information I had obtained was incomplete," Theron said without moving. He blinked once before finally letting his gaze drift straight down to the woman. The sight of the woman sitting where he should filled him with disquiet. "During my time using the Forge Seed, it became apparent that I would require much more than a small machine could provide; the larger it is the greater its hunger... but the greater the rewards. I lied to the Map in order to find out if the Seed's development had been accelerated in the past. Integrating it with a machine of suitable size and technology seemed to have the desired effect."

"And what do you mean by hunger?" the Grand Chancellor inquired.

"Nothing one not trained in the ways of the Force would believe," Theron stated. He sighed and nonetheless began to speak. "The Forge's technology is that of an empire predating the first Republic by tens of millennia. This species decided to use the Dark Side of the Force as a way to power the technology they developed. The Forge fed on that energy, magnifying it until it eventually caused a Force-borne plague that wiped their species out."

"And you willingly used such a machine yourself!?" The Grandmaster snapped, rising to his feet and slamming his palms on the high table the Triumvirs sat at. "You threatened the fabric of the galaxy itself; you are worse than any Sith that have ever assaulted this universe with their evil!"

"I placed it on a planet that had nearly no Force signature. No Jedi enclave, no Imperial Knights, and no Sith. This meant if I used it sparingly, the machine would enter periods of sleep. This meant, if used correctly, the Forge would fulfill that for which it was needed."

"You mean for the destruction of the Triumvirate, do you not?" the Grand Moff inquired.

"... Among other things," Theron noted with a sigh. He shook his head in disappointment. "As I said, we are wasting our time. Every moment that we waste here is a moment that Nernyn will have the Forge without anyone to stop him from over using it!"

"A weapon that would not exist if not for you," the Chancellor pointed out.

"True, but that doesn't matter right now. If he uses it, everything any of us care about will die. You have no options but to trust me." Theron clenched his fists and the metal bars keeping him strapped down exploded apart from the bubble of Force that expanded within them. Theron stood up and raised his hand out to his side, effortlessly calling the Mask to his hand. The Grandmaster attempted to stop it, latching onto the artifact with his own grip of the Force, but it was of no use. The Korun male's grip shattered and the mask flew towards Theron's outstretched hand at lightning speeds. "I'm offering you idiots my help!"

"You're asking for our entire fleet!" the Chencellor growled in disbelief.

"Because the entirety of the Sith Fleet will be there as well. The only way to stop that fleet now is with our own." The other two members of the Triumviracy turned towards the Grand Moff, surprised she would advocate helping him. She shrugged and said with a calm, logical voice, "As it stands, the enemy have a machine capable of magnifying the power of one of the most powerful Sith Warriors in the galaxy supported by a fleet of ships that is the same in size to our entire armada. We should send the fleet along with our single greatest advantage at the moment – Fleet Admiral Taas."

"But not with him in tow," the Grandmaster pointed out what the Chiss had left out and Theron's eyes narrowed angrily.

The Grand Moff frowned at Theron, then said, "No."

"You don't stand a chance against Nernyn without me. Either you're lying to yourselves or you really are fools," he spat. There was a quiet clank as the Grandmaster placed his lightsaber on the table, a silent threat. A meaningless one, Theron knew; he was unmatched among these politicians. Theron reached down to his hip instinctively even though he knew his blade was not there.

"Stand down, Revan," the Grandmaster ordered.

Theron's hand wavered for a moment before slowly moving to cross his arms. "You were fine using me before."

"You had no memories of who your past life" Theron glanced at the source of the voice, the Chancellor.

The Grandmaster spoke up. "'You were no match for Nernyn, Revan, or for us."

Theron considered this statement for a moment. Finally: "Perhaps. But the three of you are no match for your predecessors." He turned around and began to walk silently towards the door.

"You weren't dismissed!" the Grandmaster snapped.

A wave of pure telekinetic energy erupted from Theron's shoulders, soft enough at a distance that the Triumvirs were merely thrown back into their seats, yet strong enough at close range to send the doors in front of him flying away and shattering into a thousand tiny, wooden shards. The Triumvir's guards appeared from just beyond their door and leveled their weapons at the man who had destroyed the door. Theron paused in the outward bent frame where the door had been a moment before and glanced over his shoulder. "I don't care." Then he turned back to the guards and waved one hand. The guards' shoulders slumped and Theron walked past their slackjawed forms without even being seen by their glazed over eyes.

The Triumvirs sat in silence for a moment as they waited for their soldiers to awaken from their forced stupor. "Send Ana to take the Eagle into orbit. Ground any and all transport off world except on our ships," the Chancellor growled.

"You think you command us? We are not underlings, we are partners," the Chiss woman pointed out, her species' usual arrogance plentiful in her voice. The Chancellor sighed an exasperated apology. "Good. I agree that is likely the best course of action."

"I am unsure. Leaving him alone on Coruscant could be dangerous." The Grandmaster looked around at the others.

"Alone? He's surrounded by an army," the Chancellor pointed out. "We are hardly defenseless with them here."

"And most of them we are taking to destroy the Forge." The Moff nodded and looked over at the Grandmaster. "Do you have any suggestions? Are there any Jedi capable of watching him?"

The Chancellor rolled his eyes and jokingly said, "I think sending him to orbit with an altitude sensing bomb would be our best course of action."

The Grandmaster frowned. "Unfortunately, that may be the _only_ option. We are incapable of amassing a suitable force to fight him head to head, not like this." He gestured at the remains of the door and the still barely conscious guards.

"I wasn't being serious! What about the... Jedi sense? He would be able to tell if a bomb was present."

"Well..." the Grand Moff muttered quietly.

The Grandmaster sighed and nodded. "Yes, his vision does seem to have a few holes when those close to him occupy his thoughts. I would just prefer not to sacrifice such powerful individuals."

The Chancellor's eyes widened slightly as he understood. "Ah... I see." He glanced down before shrugging. "Well, I suppose we will have to tell the Admiral that Revan kidnapped them and tried to take the ship off world. We had no choice but to destroy the ship before Revan could escape."

"And, to calm your nerves, I do have a form of insurance." The Grand Moff smiled and tented her fingers in front of her face. "It may keep him from finding the bomb even if he does sense something is wrong."

"The difficult part will be getting him on the ship," the Grandmaster muttered.

The Grand Moff smirked. She said, "No... It won't."

SWSWSWSWSW

"Remind me again why we're sneaking onto the _Eagle_?" Deranis asked as Theron led their group to the hangar. To try and hide the ship from Theron, the Triumvirate had moved the ship from its landing pad atop the building to a military hangar a few dozen miles away. It had not done much to stop him from grabbing Deranis, Cade, and Artoo so they could make a break for the ship.

"Because the ship's the only thing on the planet cleared to take off and the only one fast enough to get us to Entralla before the Triumvirate fleet. At least, if I can modify the Rakatan Drive installed on it," Theron replied, keeping careful watch on the soldiers guarding the main entrance to the ship.

"I meant why are we _sneaking_ ," Deranis corrected.

"You are the most Mandalorian Echani I have ever met," Cade muttered from behind the man.

Deranis shook his head and ignored what was said. "I'm not in the mood for a fight, right now. I'm sure Nernyn has spies here, and I want to reduce the risk of him learning I am back at full strength again." Theron paused and glanced over his shoulder when Artoo whistled quietly. "You've accessed the droid? Finally. Have the frame open the back door."

"There's a back door?" Deranis asked.

"Really? You didn't know that?" Cade retorted, chuckling. "Tell him where it is..."

"You don't know either," Theron pointed out, immediately destroying the Jedi's grin. He quieted down and waited for a few moments until Artoo whistled. "Good. Glad you already knew about it Artoo. Now to get rid of these guards..." Theron held his hand out in front of him and frowned seriously. A hanging wing ready to be put onto an incomplete X-Wing began to shake ever so slightly, moving almost imperceptibly left to right. Finally, the grips holding the slab of metal and inactive weaponry broke from the movement and tumbled down, right onto a complete X-Wing. The resulting noise startled everyone and the guards beside the _Eagle_ took a few steps towards the commotion, just enough that they were still close to the entrance however.

Theron stood up and gestured for the others to follow him, using his Force awareness to avoid detection by the still somewhat frozen Triumvirate soldiers present throughout the room. He slid to a stop beneath the back right landing stand of the ship and pulled a hanging flap down. A door slid open from the location and a small ladder appeared from beneath it. "I added this in during my time as the Emperor. It was good for sneaking off world to have some fun." He pulled himself up and into the ship, the other two men following suit. Artoo activated his thrusters and followed them in a moment after Cade finished entering the darkened cargo bay.

Theron deactivated the HK frame and moved it to the wall as the others entered, then moved back to the door. He pressed a button, causing the ladder to fold up and the flap to shut, then he pressed another and the entrance shut completely, magnetically sealing to prevent atmosphere leakage. "Okay, now we just have to... be..." Theron looked around and frowned. "Cade, do you feel that?"

"I was about to ask the same thing." The Jedi walked over to the wall and placed his palm on the durasteel. He continued, "Something's wrong."

"What is it?" Deranis asked, unable to feel the murmurs in the Force.

Theron shook his head. "I think it's... I can't sense the Force. I can't sense anything."

"What? I thought it was everywhere," Deranis stated.

"It is everywhere, we just... can't feel it," Cade explained lamely even as he tried to extend his perception again. He shook his head and let his hand fall from the wall. "I don't think I've ever felt like this before. It's all so... woolen." He turned to Theron to say something, but stopped upon seeing Theron sitting cross legged on the floor with his mask over his face. Cade cocked his head to the side and waited for Theron to speak up.

"Ysalamir," Theron finally said, voice coming out slightly fuzzy through the mask's speakers. He walked over to the main door of the cargo hold and frowned. "Why would they put an Ysalamir on the _Eagle_ and why didn't we notice it before now..."

Ana's voice was quick to explain from the other side of the door. "This Ysalamir is here to keep you from even thinking about poking and prodding with my mind, Kralle." Her footsteps stopped on the other side of the wall, the Will of the Force laughing at Theron. "And if you try to leave that bubble, I've been told to put you down."

"Kralle?" he remembered foggily, as if through a colored lens, the events of just a few days prior. He hadn't even recognized her when Cade brought the unconscious woman aboard the ship – Theron thought he'd killed her years ago, after all! That half-insane, jibbering mess of a Zeltron was Darth Kralle? He hadn't even given her a second thought... of course, he couldn't remember her back then. His gut twisted with worry. Was it because Kralle was there, more dangerous than anyone believed? The feeling in Theron's gut didn't go away. Then was it that she would reveal them before they could take the ship? No, that did not seem likely either. The gut feeling worsened and Theron resisted the urge to bring attention to his bad feeling about all this.

"Can't you hear him?"

Theron's eyes widened at Kralle's words. What did she mean by that? Could she sense him somehow? "He's saying he wants to kill me. To kills us both!" Kralle hissed. "Everyone on the ship will die!"

Theron sighed in relief. No, it was simply that she was insane. He let his hand fall to his side as he let the relief briefly roll across him. "You still feel it, right?" Theron turned to Deranis. His breathing, punctuated by the gravelly interference of his mask's speakers, caused the non-Force sensitive warrior to breathe in sharply; Theron looked like a god of Death. Deranis cleared his throat, "You _Jetti_ focus too much on that Force sense of yours. Trust your gut for once. Doesn't this feel wrong?"

Cade grunted in agreement. "Now that you mention it, none of this adds up. From what I saw of Kralle, she's so broken mentally she couldn't summon the strength to enter someone else's mind," he said.

Theron took a slow breath; he was starting to feel that same pain in his gut that Deranis was warning of. "She's terrified of telepathic connections," Theron stated. The others looked over at him and Artoo whistled in inquiry. "I shattered her mind myself; I doubt she would even know _how_ to initiate telepathic link anymore. And the Jedi would know that if they had her all this time."

Cade sighed. He'd known what the man had done, but to see the results... "We'll follow your lead," Cade finally said. He didn't sense the same Darkness in the masked man that had once permeated the entire galaxy. He could trust the younger man for now. He hoped.

"We'll stay put until the ship is in the air. Then we'll get Artoo to the Ysalamir and look for whatever trap the Triumvirs have laid," Theron said. He looked over at the astromech droid and listened to its response. "Good. Then I guess we just have to sit back and wait."

A short while later, the ship was on its way up, and Theron knew it was time to make his move. He opened the door and moved to take the cockpit, the others leading Artoo to find the Ysalamir and scan for whatever it was that the Triumvirate had left.

Theron entered the cockpit as silently as he could. Ana was piloting the ship, checking a few of the gauges and making adjustments as she readied to enter the atmosphere. He sighed inwardly while unclipping one of his lightsabers. He lifted the deactivated weapon towards Ana. "Surrender, Ana."

The woman turned slowly, moving her head until she could see him out of the corner of her eye. The violet orb narrowed on him. "Theron. How did you get on this ship?"

"I had this ship for years; do you really think you know more about it than I do?" he inquired solemnly. He gestured at her again. "Now, turn the ship on autopilot and surrender."

She turned back to the controls for the ship and placed her hand on the autopilot. Despite the fact that this was what he had ordered, Theron knew this wasn't because she was listening to him. Theron ignited his lightsaber just as the woman backflipped out of the pilot's seat, igniting her lightsaber to attack him. The black blade clashed with orange and the two glared at one another. "You aren't going to get to the Forge. As bad as he is, we can defeat Nernyn." She tried to shove Theron back.

"No. They can't," Theron growled.

"Um... Theron, you might want to get in here."

"I'm kind of busy, Cade!" Theron hissed.

"Cade – ? You roped everyone else into this, too!?" Ana snapped. She growled and snap kicked Theron. He stepped a few feet backwards, moving with the blow to avoid getting hurt. "They're going to be tried for treason, Theron! Why didn't you think about how this would affect them?"

"Theron, it's a bomb! There's a bomb on the ship!"

Theron grit his teeth and slapped a lightsaber attack away. "What kind?" He looked over at Ana. "There's a bomb, you need to let us get rid of it!"

"The Triumvirs wouldn't do that," she snapped. She took a step back, then prepared to attack again. "The Triumvirate is built upon morality, unlike your Empire!"

Theron felt a massive jolt of anger run through his body when she said this. Morality? She dared to lecture him on morality after everything she had done!? Theron snarled and aimed his saber's tip towards her throat. "An interesting thing for you to say, Traitor!" Then he charged forward, blade flashing in a ribbon of death.

SWSWSWSWSW

The Triumvirs watched as the Crimson Eagle began to soar further and further away from the surface of Coruscant. "Do you think we are doing the right thing?" the Grand Master inquired as he watched the ship.

"It will be the privilege of lesser men to ask that question." The Grand Moff pulled out a datapad and began to read the numbers on the screen, the data of an altitude sensor connected to the bomb. "And besides, there is no use questioning what is already done." The sensor hit the necessary altitude, and a relatively small explosion roared into being far above, leaving nothing behind save a cloud of smoke.


	48. Enemy of My Enemy

The galaxy burned. A thousand planets were alight in death as the power of the Dark Side ran rampant through the star ways. Theron saw the Forge, its ancient Super Star Destroyer design rising from the dirt of Entralla and towards the stars. An armada of ships, a meld of Rakatan and Imperial designs, flew from the factory hangars and advanced through the galaxy like an unstoppable wave of Darkness. And at the head of this destruction, standing in the bridge of the Forge, were two Sith Lords. The commander of the two was a Twi'lek man, his burning yellow eyes a stark contrast with his pale blue skin. Nernyn was laughing; he controlled the galaxy. At his right hand stood a Chiss woman, her blood red eyes dead.

Then the Force vision ended. Theron stopped his attack on Ana and took a step to the side, avoiding the blow she had sent his way. He really did not want to go down this _karking_ path. It was filled to the brim with things he had never liked to do. The worst things to him. "Ana, we have to stop this," he growled, raising his lightsaber just in time to block the next incoming blow. "There _is_ a bomb, dammit! You have to listen to me!" He shoved the attack away and jumped backwards.

"You're holding to that story!?" she snapped. She slashed at his neck, forcing him to take another step back. The tip of the blade burned through the air just a few millimeters from his throat, close enough for the mask's display to forcibly darken to prevent him from being blinded. His weapon blocked her next attack, but she used the contact to force him against the wall of the hallway. The blades dragged closer to his neck. "Theron – Revan – why?"

Theron nearly stopped pushing against the attack in surprise. "Why? Why what?" he snarled. He brought his foot up and kicked her away before sprinting towards the place where the Ysalamir created a hole in his Force perception. He glanced over his shoulder and was forced to twist his lightsaber backhand to deflect an incoming blaster bolt. "Also, _stop destroying my ship!_ "

"Your ship?" Ana scoffed. She lowered the blaster end of her weapon and shook her head while chasing him down. "You stole this ship from the Triumvirate." She caught up and her lightsaber stabbed forward. Theron was barely able to throw himself to the side into a roll, though it still left a burning trail in his robes. "As for why? Why any of this!? You do realize this galaxy could _end_ because of what you've done?"

Theron fought off the urge to snap that, no, they could actually trace it back to what _she_ had done to _him_. "Ana, the galaxy _will_ end if you do not listen to me." He deactivated his lightsaber and glared at her before clipping it to his hip. "If this ship goes down in flames, so will the galaxy."

Ana angled her lightsaber at Theron's throat and stepped towards him until the orange blade threatened to pierce his skin. Her eyes studied him furiously, trying to figure out what the _kriff_ it was that he was planning. Theron's hand moved up slowly and he stopped moving for a half moment when her lightsaber flinched closer to him. He pointed at the mask and continued to move, taking it off and sliding it down to a maglock on his hip. "What kind of trick is this?" Ana hissed cautiously.

"I -"

"Theron,we moved it into the cargo hold. Artoo can't disarm it!" Cade warned as he rounded the corner from the cargo hold. He froze in his tracks when he saw the tense standoff in play before him. "Uh... We can't get rid of the bomb."

Ana glanced between Theron's indiscernible gray eyes and Cade's worried features. "You're not lying," she muttered upon seeing the fear in the old man's gaze. She studied Theron's face, trying to find the answer for herself.

Theron decided to give it to her instead, saying, "No." Theron took a step back and looked over at Cade. "Show me." The older man nodded slowly, then the two began to walk after him. Ana's blade flashed in a ribbon around her before it was clipped silently to her belt again. The weight of only one lightsaber felt alien to her, knowing that she should have a second placed upon her hip. Instead she found herself looking at the weapon clipped to Theron's right hip, where the white lightsaber crystal's Force aura pulsed in a rhythm opposite of that the black crystal gave off. His own aura moved twice as quickly, every beat in time with one of the lightsaber crystals.

"No... No, Lord Revan, I am sorry! Lord Revan, I will not be-betray you again, please! Do not kill me!" Theron stopped in his tracks and let his gaze fall on Kralle's begging face. She was scrabbling towards him on her hands and knees. "Please, I didn't mean to be here -"

"Get her out of here. I need some quiet," Theron said dispassionately. He looked over at the bomb without giving the woman a second thought, treating her like she was not even there, actually. He studied the machine for a second from the other side of the room, not wanting to enter that cold area where the Ysalamir would mute his perception. He glanced over his shoulder at Ana when the Zeltron began to get too close. "Now." Then he began to walk towards the explosive.

Theron was maybe ten feet away when he stumbled, the effects of the Ysalamir slamming into his mind like a star ship. " _Kark!_ " he snarled. He shook his head and forced himself to continue moving, clasping his hands in front of his body and crouching to look at the bomb. He didn't know why, really, he was doing what he was doing. After all, if Artoo couldn't defuse the bomb then there was very little chance that he would be able to stop it from going off. Still, he examined the weapon while trying to come up with a plan.

"The droid said that's a proton core bomb," Deranis said. "If it's right, I've seen enough of them to know we won't be able to get it far enough away from the ship before it explodes, especially if this is an altitude sensing bomb." Artoo whistled again. "And it is."

"Then I'm sure we're getting close." Theron sighed and stood up. He had a plan. It just happened to be one that one that he did not like. "We need to seal the cargo bay." He turned and looked between Cade and Deranis. Artoo whistled questioningly. "I know that the blast doors wouldn't be any help in containing the blast. It will be helpful in keeping us from venting atmosphere, however." Then he walked past the three and out of the cargo hold, Artoo moving at his side. Cade and Deranis glanced at one another for a moment, then grabbed the inactive droid in the corner of the room before following the two out.

As soon as they exited the room, Artoo stopped by the side of the door and slammed it shut, a quiet whir coming from the door as the magnets within it activated. "What do you have planned?" Cade asked, arms crossed.

"I need to concentrate. I'll explain once I'm done," Theron simply said from where he stood at the center of the ship's main room. He brought his mask up to his face again then crouched and placed both hands on the ground. His chin dipped to his chest and a rough breath came out over his speakers.

"Do you have any idea what he's up to?" Deranis asked Cade in a whisper.

"Weird Revan _kriff?_ " the old Jedi suggested dryly. Deranis glared at him for a moment before they looked back at where he was crouching. They saw Ana come in from the other side of the ship. She stopped in the entrance to the hallway and crossed her arms, her face painted with the despair of one betrayed. Theron glanced over out of the corner of his eyes, the mask giving him a readout on her slight emotional twitches. He shoved any thoughts aside and shut his eyes, concentrating on the ship.

He reached out with his mind, wrapping his consciousness around the entire durasteel body of the transport. He could feel every nook and cranny of the ship's interior and exterior, every plate welded together and every magnetic force holding the doors shut tight. The entire ship was placed within a folded space he had created within his mind,completely within his grasp. Save for a small area. There was a bubble expanding outward from the Ysalamir, its aura preventing him from having any control over that region of the ship. He wished he could at least sense the bomb; he wanted to time this as close as possible. After all, if the Triumvirate thought he was dead again, he would have more time to plan. But beggars couldn't be choosers. He took another deep breath and unleashed all the power he could into folding the universe around the Eagle. The ship shuddered under his palms for a moment, his Force aura creeping around it along the plane of his expanded perception. Then there was a bright flash and Theron felt unconsciousness creep in on him completely.

For the others, it was significantly less peaceful. When a ship was on autopilot, it was using the maps already downloaded into its navcomputer while it downloaded and uploaded updates to and from the Holonet to calculate its position in reference to asteroids and other ships that it might hit. Still, it wasn't perfect or immediate. The downloads and calculations took some small amount of time to complete, and the systems themselves were not designed around all of the weirdness that could be found in the presence of incredibly powerful Force wielders. For instance, when a ship on autopilot suddenly found itself a half dozen star systems away because space was folded around it, a ship's navcomputer tended to freak out. The Eagle's autopilot followed this trend by having its engines try to push it in six directions at once for a few seconds. The artificial gravity failed suddenly, and everyone suddenly found themselves slamming into walls and the ceiling, flying around in every direction.

It took a few minutes for the ship's systems to perform an automated reboot, and by that time everyone had a new bruise or two to show off. Except Artoo, he had magnetically attached himself to the floor of the ship so he wouldn't get thrown about. When the reboot finished, the ship's lights began to glow and the artificial gravity unceremoniously caused everyone besides the astromech to slam into the ground. Artoo whistled mockingly at Cade. "Well, some of us don't have _karking_ magnets for feet, _Stoopa_!"

The alarms began shortly after.

Ana groaned and forced herself to her feet, stumbling to a datapad linked to the wall. "The ship's in bad shape. The engines overtaxed the main power during that little seizure the ship had and there's a hole in the cargo hold's hull. Actually, if the sensors are right, the entire back corner of that room – including the comm system – is just... gone."

"He contained the bomb's yield?" Deranis asked, awestruck.

"No. He probably could have, but we'd never have made it off Coruscant if that was the case," Cade grumbled. He kicked Artoo and the trash can shaped droid wobbled and whistled angrily. "No, Theron did something a lot more difficult with that Ysalamir on board. He teleported us."

" _Jetti_ ," Deranis muttered exasperatedly. "That's possible?"

"Very," Ana finished. She shut down the datapad and moved over to the galaxy table at the center of the room. She leaned down to the control panel and began to tap a few buttons. "Okay, here we are." The image zoomed in on their current position. Ana narrowed her eyes on the information coming up beside the planet. "Entralla. Most of its original population was wiped out during the Vong war. Colonization was mainly in the hands of the Imperial Remnant and remained sparse until Revan handed out subsidies for people settling in the region where the current capital city stands." She glanced at the ground, clearly angry with herself. "We should have known he had something here."

"Maybe, maybe not," Cade muttered. He leaned towards the table. "Do we have sensors active?"

"Not long range, but I know we're ahead of the Fleet by a few hours. And short range..." She pressed a button and an image of Darth Nernyn's flagship and fleet appeared above the planet. "That's 'all' that's in range."

"Which means that the Forge hasn't taken off, yet," Deranis noted. The others looked over at Deranis laying Theron down on a couch. He walked over and began to study the planet. "It's under that main city, from what Theron told us, and with Nernyn here we're up against a lot. The five of us -" Artoo whistled appreciatively at being counted right out of the gate " – versus the largest military with the best special forces in the galaxy."

"I've had worse odds," Cade said.

Ana shook her head. "Not this bad. We need to find a way to send a message to Van's fleet. We need to coordinate to survive this."

"It doesn't matter if we need to, we can't. Any comms we'd be able to get to are on the planet's surface," Cade pointed out. "At which point we're already there. Besides, it won't help them get here any faster."

"What we need to do is coordinate with the Mandalorian fleet." Deranis gestured at a section of the Sith armada. "Mandalore will vouch for Theron's identity, and people know she doesn't lie. The armada would be torn in two."

"And Revan would have power over the Empire again!" Ana growled, surprised that anyone would suggest giving him that much power again.

"It's Theron."

Everyone turned. Theron was sitting up on the couch, feet on the ground and one hand on his mask. The seals on it hissed and opened as he pulled it from his face, revealing a tired but still determined glare. "My name. It's Theron," he repeated. He stood up, placing the mask back on its maglock, and walked over to the table with the others. "And it's pointless to argue about it. If we don't sow discord in the Imperial Armada, Nernyn will get the Forge and annihilate the Triumviracy that, somehow, you still care about."

Ana glared at him and shook her head. "The ideals are worthy of aspiring to."

"Ah yes, betrayal, lies, and hypocrisy. That does sound like you," Theron mockingly growled.

"You know what I meant," she hissed. Her anger was beginning to flare up; she took a deep breath to calm herself. "The Triumvirate represents something meaningful, unlike the Sith Empire."

"You mean peace, strength, honor, and virtue are meaningless to you?" Theron countered coolly. He held up his hand, cutting her off just as she was about to respond. "Enough. We're boring Cade and Deranis, and even worse we are wasting time. The five of us are heading to the surface to board the Forge. We'll make a decision about what we do when we get in to one of the Forge's comm rooms."

Ana glared at him for a moment before shaking her head. "A clean slate. Please."

Theron looked at the others, silently asking what they thought he should do. They offered no opinions. "The Triumvirate was built upon something great. At the very least, I will consider it." Theron turned his eyes back to Ana's violet orbs. "Is that satisfactory."

Ana nodded. "And I'm sorry. For everything." Her face fell somewhat, causing Theron's gut to squirm with a vortex of emotions. "I know what we did was wrong."

"But without knowing how it turned out, you would do it again," Theron noted. Ana didn't deny it. Theron took a slow breath and kept his eyes locked on Ana.

Finally, he turned to the display and began studying the fleet surrounding Entralla. Part of his memory flared up, the pieces of the mask that he had created for this body remembering a life it had never had. He set his jaw as a wave of self loathing ran across his mind, then pointed at the fleet. "Most of the ships that are forming the fleet are non-Rakatan tech. That means I can alter the Rakatan Anti-Drive to send off a hypermatter pulse that will shut off their energy systems for a few minutes." He turned to Artoo. "Can you get the sublight engines working long enough to get us to Entralla's surface?"

The droid's head spun around wildly as it whistled enthusiastically. "Then get on it. We need to get down there fast."


	49. Survived Worse

The cockpit was quiet as Theron strapped himself into the copilot's seat and began to perform a few final checks on the Eagle's Rakatan drive. Power fluctuated as the drive began to power up, the hypermatter being dragged from the hyperdrive and into the Rakatan machine to be used in a massive EMP that would deactivate the ships in the blockade and let them fly down towards Entralla's surface. Ana couldn't summon up the will to speak with him, so she performed her own final check on the ship's screwed up sublight engines. They were operating at 33% capacity, which was just enough for a hard landing a few miles outside of Entralla's capital city. She didn't know whether there would be enough of the ship left to rebuild after this was over. She wasn't even sure if she hoped there would be or not. So many memories, good and bad, permeated its durasteel. Maybe those memories should die with the ship.

"How much longer until we can get moving?" Cade asked over the ship's comm system.

Theron leaned over to the button and pressed it, letting them reply. "The Rakatan drive is ready. Just waiting on the final engine che- ," he began.

"We're good," Ana cut in.

Theron looked at her, his face clean of emotion, then returned his attention to the comms. "You heard the woman. Strap in and tell Artoo to shut off his systems. This ship's circuits are protected from the Rakatan drive's pulse, but his aren't. We don't want to risk any permanent damage."

There was a moment of silence. Finally, crackling over the comm system, Deranis said, "Okay, the astromech is shut off and bolted to the ship. We're ready."

"Good. I'll tell you when to brace for the hypermatter EMP; it's going to be a bumpy ride," Theron warned. He took his finger off of the comm system and looked over at Ana. "Ready?"

"Hopefully," she muttered and then she eased forward on the engines. The Eagle rattled for a moment and Theron wondered for a moment if his trusty ship would be able to make it down to the surface. He wished he could have just teleported the ship down to the surface, but he wasn't fully recovered from his last use of the ability. He knew this would come down to him and Nernyn; it always came down to him. Eventually, however, the ship began to push forward and the rattling died down.

As the Eagle began to speed up in its approach towards the planet, the sensors lit up and began to whine. "We've been spotted. If the inter-ship comms weren't out, I'd assume they were hailing the Eagle."

"We'd just ignore it," Theron pointed out.

Another few moments passed. "They didn't like that! They're locking weapons on us. Any time you want to shut them off, be my guest," Ana growled.

Theron narrowed his eyes on the ships turning towards them. "If I set it off now, they'd just reboot their systems before we got through. We need to get closer."

"We can't get closer if they blow us up!" Ana snapped.

"I'll get the timing right," Theron muttered dismissively. He opened a permanent ship wide line. "T minus five. Four. Three –" The ship was forced to swerve tot he right to avoid a large, green beam of turbolaser fire. "Uh, Go!" He flicked a few more switches, and the hum of the engines was drowned out by a much louder whirring noise. Soon, a pulse of purple energy flared out from the ship's hull, causing the lights in the Eagle to flare violently before returning to their base brightness. The pulse rocketed towards the blockade. Another burst of turbolaser fire flew past the ship, dodged only because of Ana's piloting abilities. Then the pulse hit the blockade, causing the lights on the closest ship to flicker out. Theron grinned as the pulse piggybacked on the hypermatter core of that ship, energy jumping from ship to ship every few seconds. "Gun it!"

The Eagle shot past the star destroyers, a half dead bird sneaking past the enemy. When they hit Entralla's atmosphere, Theron knew they were almost safe. Well, 'safe.' They would at least soon be far enough away from the blockade and approaching the planet at such a poorly conceived angle that no one would follow. They were more likely to die on reentry than make it to the ground. The ship began to rattle around them and the hull could visibly be seen heating up from the approach to terminal velocity. "You have a way out of this?" Cade shouted. The comms were broken, so his voice barely came down the hall to the cockpit.

"If we wait five point four seconds will we still have enough time to adjust trajectory?" Theron asked Ana.

She frowned and kept her eyes on the navcomputer. "I hope so," she whispered. She set the calculations into the navcomputer and waited. The clock ticked slowly down, second by second. Finally, the ship swerved violently, entering a more stable angle of atmospheric reentry. Theron saw a piece of the ship's broken hull hurtle past the viewport, a jagged blade burning apart in the atmosphere. The hull of the ship that remained, however, began to cool down. Ana turned to Theron and grinned nervously. "See? Easy."

"Hnh," Theron muttered. He gripped the crash webbing around his shoulders tightly. "We still have to crash land, you know."

"You keep surviving worse," Ana pointed out, her voice half angry.

Theron glanced at her, annoyed. "Not always." He shut his eyes and waited as the ship continued to creak. They'd survive, she was right. It would just _really_ hurt.

And hurt it did. The ship hit the ground and Theron was thrown forward, stopped only when his crash webbing began to bruise his chest. "Ach!" he snarled. The viewport in front of him shattered and the ship began to teeter, falling to its back. Theron hissed as the metal 'above' him dented inwards and sparks began to fly from the ship's computers. "Dammit..."

"Agreed," Ana groaned.

Theron sighed and gingerly raised his hand to his crash webbing. "This isn't going to be fun," he grumbled, then he unlocked the webbing and slammed into the ceiling of the ship.

"Did anyone get the number of the planet that just broke me?" Cade called from the other room.

"Not the worst crash I've been in... " That one was Deranis. Wasn't going to let his weakness show, it sounded like.

"Sure it wasn't," Theron grumbled to himself. He pushed himself up to his feet and shook his head at Ana, who was about to unclip her crash webbing. "We need to hurry out of here."

"I'm going," she growled before unsnapping the webbing and hitting the ground on her hands, then springing up to her feet. "You're still tired."

Theron thought of his crash into the durasteel. He should have been able to land like Ana without any problems. "I'll be fine," he muttered dismissively.

"Sure," Ana muttered.

Theron rolled his eyes and walked towards the main room of the ship to find Cade stretching to full height and groaning. "I'm getting too _karking_ old for this stuff," he grumbled angrily. He pulled one arm behind his head and began to pull on it. "Ugh... Ah..." He sighed as his shoulder made a popping noise.

"Not going to help me out with the droid, then?" Deranis asked while he reached up and began to prod Artoo into activation.

"You've got it," Cade dismissed while he pulled his other arm behind his head and pulled until it cracked, too. "Nice..."

Deranis rolled his eyes and looked over at Theron. "Can you hold the droid up so he doesn't fall on me when we undo the bolts?"

Theron nodded and walked towards the droid, placing his hands on the droid's dome and held him firmly above his head. "Go." Deranis grunted in thanks and input the final command to turn the droid on. Artoo beeped inquisitively as he booted up, then began to whine in a combination of fear and excitement at 'waking up' upside down. Deranis reached up and began to unbolt the droid from above their heads. Theron chuckled and began to slowly bring Artoo back to the ground when it was finally finished. "Your systems aren't damaged at all, are they?"

Artoo whistled an affirmative. "Good, I was worried the pulse might still affect you even if your systems were all powered down. I doubt you've had a memory wipe since the Galactic War, and that does hell with glitches in the behavior matrix. I was worried you decided not to turn off completely." Theron patted the droid on the head and turned to Cade and Deranis in turn. "And you two are okay?"

"I'm old, not fragile," Cade said. He sighed and shook his head. "Though that could have shattered durasteel. We got lucky."

"A Jedi saying we got lucky?" Deranis asked with a smirk. "Oh, what would your master say?"

"Luck, providence, or the Will of the Force. We have more pressing things to deal with," Ana said, entering the room. Theron frowned at the sight of only one lightsaber on her hip. He was so used to her wielding two of the weapons that in the back of his head it made her seem unbalanced. The red head crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head. "Artoo, can you triangulate where we are on Entralla from local communications?"

The droid spun in place and a small sattelite dish popped up from its head, spinning with the droid. A few moments later, the dish snapped back into the astromech droid and he stopped moving. A few whistles and beeps came from the droid. "Five miles? That's further from the main city than we thought we'd be," Ana remarked.

"We'll just have to move double time, then." Theron unclipped one of his lightsabers from his belt and took a deep breath. "And we're not going to get any closer worrying about it. Let's get moving."

SWSWSWSWSW

Darth Nernyn, Dark Lord of the Sith, paused over the smoking husk of the protocol droid that had been guarding the turbolift down to the Forge. A wave of power had rushed across the planet's surface, the same as the one that had echoed across the entire galaxy just a few short days prior. "Master, did you feel that?" He turned around to look at Traya. The Chiss woman looked apprehensive, the remains of who she had been struggling to fight their way to the surface. But they weren't strong enough, and were soon buried beneath the disaffected calm of Darth Traya.

Nernyn nodded, a tingle of excitement running down his spine at the prospect of dueling Revan again. A true Revan, with his power, memories, and skill restored. When he destroyed his former master, his one time best friend, his _brother_... then Nernyn's title as Dark Lord of the Sith would be truly undisputed. "Of course," he responded, yellow eyes glinting hungrily in the shadow. He turned and motioned at the wall with his hand, extending the reach of the Force until the mechanism hiding the turbolift slid open. "We should prepare for his arrival, shouldn't we?"

Traya nodded and followed him into the lift. Nernyn reached out with his mechanical claw and pressed a button. The lift doors slid shut and they began to fall towards the main body of the ship. "What is all this?" Traya muttered when the Forge ship finally came into view. It was within a huge cavern, one perhaps as large as the entire city above. Sitting in the center of this impossibly large subterranean room, waiting for someone to simply take its powers, was a heavily modified super star destroyer. The sharp edges had been smoothed out, somewhat, and long lines of a tinted, reinforced glass lined the surface every few miles. Pipes extended from the machine and burrowed into the walls of the surrounding cavern, though they looked ready to detach at any moment. Traya's eyes widened when the ship suddenly lit up, the tinted glass shining with a dim blue, and the Force began to pull towards the ship.

"The Forge, crafted into the ultimate weapon by Revan," the Emperor said. His sharp teeth glinted as he grinned. "For all his faults, he could create truly powerful tools of death." The Emperor glanced at the stone above the ship and frowned. "I wonder if he will make it here in time." The lift continued on without a definitive reply, simply letting the two Sith rocket towards the ultimate weapon in the galaxy.

When they finally arrived in the forge, the feeling of hunger intensified. The ship's hallways were consumed by the field. Strangely enough, Nernyn noticed that the feeling did little to actually weaken him. Instead he felt invigorated, as if by consuming his power the ship was also enhancing it. "A symbiosis," Nernyn noted as he raised one electrically charged hand in front of him. The doors of the lift slid open and Nernyn smiled. He began to walk down the long hallway, the lights within the ship lighting up before him. It was itself inviting him to use it, to fuel it with his rage and use its power to create even more for it to feed upon. "You want me here, don't you."

"Of course."

The two Sith stopped in their tracks. The Emperor raised one eyebrow and frowned. "What?"

The cool, mechanical voice piped up again over the Forge's speakers a moment later. "Of course I want you here. I have been inactive for almost a year on this planet, a peaceful world without war or conflict in the least." The ship grew quiet. "I have been hungry."

Nernyn glanced over his shoulder at Traya and the two looked at one another in confusion. "What are you?" Traya inquired after a moment.

"The Forge."

Nernyn scoffed. "The Forge is sentient?"

"And Sapient. Though, I was not originally. I was first a simple assistant AI designed by Lord Revan to track the input and output of this facility. The requirements of the Forge required full integration, which expanded my own capabilities to match the facility and made me a part of it. Or, perhaps, it a part of me. Regardless, the distinction no longer exists." A door opened at the end of the hallway. "Please, enter the bridge so we may converse further."

Traya watched her master smile and walk into the control room for the ship, a pit of worry tightening in her gut. Part of her, for a flash of a moment, hoped Theron would come to stop what was about to happen. She followed Nernyn through the doorway, and it slammed shut behind her.


End file.
